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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police arrest three as hundreds of protesters face off outside Epping hotel housing asylum seekers
Hundreds of people descended on a hotel housing migrants on Sunday, as protests against taxpayer-funded accommodation for asylum seekers continue to spread across the country. As many as 500 demonstrators — including families with children — stood outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, with many waving banners with slogans including 'British people before boat people'. But the group was vastly outnumbered by a counter-protest of around 700 people, which was organised by Stand Up To Racism, who loudly chanted 'refugees are welcome here' while holding signs that read 'stop scapegoating refugees'. Both protests remained largely peaceful throughout the afternoon, although there were fiery exchanges between rival supporters. {olice later confirmed that three arrests were made. There was a further protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf, east London, with the number of participants appearing to be in the low hundreds. It marked the fifth time that protests have occurred outside The Bell Hotel after an Ethiopian resident was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 41, who arrived in Britain via small boat on June 29, denies any wrongdoing and remains in custody. Counter-demonstrators — who also included senior representatives from the National Education Union — marched towards the hotel from Epping Underground Station. Both groups were separated on Bell Common by mental fencing and a row of officers, some of whom wore riot gear. As well as Essex Police, officers from the Metropolitan Police, Durham, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, West Midlands, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Cheshire, Dyfed-Powys and Hampshire forces were at the scene. One man was filmed being pinned to the ground by officers and placed inside a police van on Theydon Road. Activists from far-Right groups, including the Homeland Party, a splinter group to the neo-Nazi Patriotic Alternative, were present. Jaymey McIvor, a Reform UK councillor for Ongar, was also among those in attendance, but declined to comment when approached by The Standard. Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, previously said he would attend before changing his mind and saying it would not be helpful to the cause. Lewis Nielson, of Stand Up To Racism, told The Standard: 'Our demonstration is an opposition to the far-Right and of unity against scapegoating. 'Any issues of sexual assault and harassment should be taken incredibly seriously. But the reality is these serious issues are being seized on in a hypocritical and cynical way by the far-Right.' Sabby Dhalu, 46, a convenor with Stand Up To Racism, said recent events in Epping show a 'fascist organisation stirring up violence' in the community. She said: 'They're seizing on that in order to stir up racism and violence, and that's very similar to what we saw with the horrific murders and attacks in Southport last year, which ignited a load of rioting by the far-Right who were winding up others to get involved in racist rioting.' Ed Harlow, vice-president of the NEU, said: 'We are the people who look after your children. We are the people who protect your children. We are the people who teach them day in day out. The people up there have no interest in protecting kids.' He added: 'The people crossing the Channel are not the issue and we need to make that very very clear. When our kids are in school they play together, they learn together. They do not see the differences that those people see. They are united. The division comes later in life and it is driven by a broken, wretched ideology.' A father-of-five said his business has been affected because of the ongoing protests. He said: 'There's been five protests in this area over the last three to four weeks. Never attended. Not left-wing, not right-wing, not anything. I've lived in the area for 35 years, I have five children, four girls, one boy. 'I think this is way way over the top. It needs to be correct. I feel sorry for the police. I feel sorry for the actual general public that come out because it is dismayed by the people who come later in the evenings and literally just want to have trouble. 'I don't think that the people who live in Epping, like myself, deserve the feedback that they're getting. I believe if there was a conversation between the people that have come down today and the people that are here today… then there would be a resolve. 'I honestly believe the general people that live in the area are genuinely worried about their children. I also believe there may be a small minority of people that have caused the issue in the first place.' The pro-immigration protesters departed the area at around 4.30pm, walking in the direction of Ivy Chimneys Road and Theydon Bois. Essex Police imposed a dispersal order from 12pm on Sunday to 8am on Monday, covering the town centre and transport network. A man, 52, from Loughton was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence. It is understood the arrest was in connection with abuse being shouted towards counter-protesters. Elsewhere, a woman, 53, also from Loughton, was arrested on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public order offence connected with a previous protest, and it is understood she was part of the protest against the use of the hotel. Meanwhile, a woman, 27, from Deptford, southeast London was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and a public order offence, and it is understood she was part of the counter-protest. 'I want to thank those who attended for the peaceful nature of both protests,' said Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow. 'I am pleased that today has passed off without incident and I am grateful to our colleagues from other forces for their support.' Police have now made 21 arrests and charged ten people with disorder since the protests began earlier this month. At the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf, a protester said public anger is being misunderstood. Kathleen O'Shaughnessy said: 'I came over on a boat from Ireland, and we went to work when we got here. We didn't live off the country. 'I can understand why people are really upset. It's not about being racist. I'm not saying people shouldn't be helped, but the way they're going about it is not right.' Andrew, who lives in the capital, added: "(Canary Wharf) is a very diverse place. We all felt safe here up until recently, this week, when we found out there's going to be undocumented migrants staying in this hotel here. "If they're going to walking around late at night, the sort of individuals who you might get who are high risk in a hotel like this could potentially target them. 'It's very easy to paint us as a bunch of angry, white British lads who are annoyed with immigration. But honestly, the vast majority of people I know here in London — they're not even from the UK." Gareth said it was "a sense of duty to my country' which brought him to the rally as he carried a shield bearing St George's Cross. He said: "When I think of what our ancestors went through to protect this country, like most of the other patriots, I'm not pleased the way it's going and it's time to take a stand.' Additional reporting by Georgia Bell,and Megan Howe
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Taxpayers forced to pay extra £900m to retired teachers
Taxpayers have handed an extra £900m to retired teachers after the cost of their pensions hit almost £13bn a year, official figures show. The average retiree received £17,750 in 2024-25, according to the Teachers' Pension Scheme's annual report, more than double the amount spent per school pupil. Current teachers also received an extra 24pc in pension contributions, costing taxpayers £1.9bn more than the previous year. It comes as strikes by the National Education Union took almost 600 teaching days away from schools last year. Most members of the England and Wales Teachers' Pension Scheme are in state schools, but others work in participating independent schools, further education and higher education. Their employer must pay pension contributions of 28.6pc on their behalf, but they contribute just 9.4pc on average themselves. In return, they receive a guaranteed, inflation-linked pension for life. According to the report, the scheme spent £10.9bn on teachers' pensions, and just over £600m on dependant pensions last year. It also paid out £1.3bn in tax-free lump sums, taking the overall cost of pensions to £12.8bn, up from £11.9bn in 2023-24. The average retiree received £17,750, up from £16,600 the year before. Per student spending for 2024-25 was £7,920 in England and £7,926 in Wales. Liz Emerson, of the Intergenerational Foundation think tank, said 'unaffordable' teachers' pensions were putting children's education at risk. She said: 'Spending on their education should not be curtailed by cutting resources in order to pay for these unaffordable final salary pensions. 'Our children's educations are at risk today due to the iceberg of pension liabilities hidden by profligate promises made in the past. Politicians of all parties should hang their heads in shame that they continue to allow these overgenerous pension promises to persist. 'One solution would be to offer salary increases for equivalent decreases in tax payer-funded pension contribution rates.' Rising employer contributions The cost of employer pension contributions for current teachers – funded by the taxpayer – also increased from £7bn to £8.9bn following a 5pc hike in the amount schools are required to pay in. It was the latest in a series of increases to employer contributions necessitated by the rising costs of the scheme, which has now built up £291bn in pension promises. Schools were previously asked to contribute just 16.5pc as recently as 2019, but the amount has since been increased twice to hit the current level of 28.6pc. State schools are legally required to offer membership of the scheme, which left taxpayers footing the bill for an extra £1.25bn handed to schools to meet the increased cost of employer contributions last year. However, private schools are free to withdraw or close it to new staff, leaving some experts to predict they will be driven out for financial reasons. Hannah English, of pension advisors Hymans Robertson, said: 'As independent schools are facing increasing financial pressure, many schools – now over 400 – have opted out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme and around 300 have decided to stop offering it to new teachers. 'The question that independent schools are having to consider is, at what cost will they remain in the scheme? If staff are taking pay cuts – or facing possible redundancies – is this a price worth paying for a generous pension scheme?' Matt Wrack, of the NASUWT teaching union, said: 'Pensions are deferred salaries to which teachers contribute a significant proportion of their income throughout their working life. Further attacks on teachers and other public sector workers would be outrageous and would be resisted.'
BBC News
18-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Liverpool LIPA: Performing arts school closes over safety concerns
A specialist performing arts school in Liverpool has closed four days before the end of term after safety concerns were flagged by council inspectors and a LIPA Multi Academy Trust - comprised of a school and sixth form college - said it had this week invited Liverpool City Council to do a "safeguarding review", which found "the school buildings require some adjustments to ensure total safety".It said the issues were "not overnight fixes" and the safety of pupils and staff "must take top priority".The National Education Union's regional officer Bora Oktas said: "I was surprised it wasn't closed sooner for the reason that there are really very severe and very life-threatening failures at this school." The trust's chief executive officer Charles Bartholomew resigned on Thursday "to prioritise his health and family", a trust representative confirmed. They said he would continue in his role as principal of the adjoined LIPA sixth form college "before taking his long-planned retirement on 31 August".Mr Oktas said: "We were warning the employer for a long time that there were failures in health and safety and the closure that happened today was not unexpected."He said he had visited the school and seen for himself a range of fire hazards, including a shortage of fire extinguishers, with many of those in the school being out of date, along with issues with fire escapes and "very small" corridors and said he had been warning the school about these issues "for a long time", as well as raising concerns about asbestos being present in parts of the school. 'Fire safety' Mr Oktas said the union had served notice of six days of strike action in September, amid escalating concerns about the school's governance, safety, and long-term viability."Our members are really concerned, not only for themselves but for the pupils that they are teaching," he said he had tried unsuccessfully to communicate with the trust's chief executive Prof Sean McNamara on a number of occasions over the past 18 months, adding that the school did not recognise LIPA trust said: "We regret the inconvenience this will cause to parents and pupils, however this decision was made for the safety of pupils and staff, which must take top priority."There are several adjustments that relate to fire safety and fire evacuation," they said, adding that there was "no issue with asbestos".The sixth form college was put into special measures following an Ofsted inspection in February. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Number of kids registered for free childcare soars - as more parents to benefit
Some 457,000 children aged nine months to two years were registered for a childcare place thanks to the expansion of 15 hours free childcare in September last year Around half a million more children under five were registered for a funded childcare place in the last year compared to the 12 months before. A record 1.7 million children under five were registered – a 33% increase - following a major expansion of free provision. Some 457,000 children aged nine months to two years registered for a place thanks to the expansion of 15 hours free childcare in September. Previously only three and four-year-olds were eligible. Data also shows 18,200 more staff members were delivering free childcare this January, compared to the same time this year. The total rose to 272,500 after a 7.2% increase - the largest annual rise since the data series began. From September, all eligible families with children aged nine months to three years will be able to access 30 hours a week. These hours can be used over 38 weeks of the year during school term time, or up to 52 weeks if fewer hours are used each week. Parents who want to get 30 hours from this September must apply by August 31. A couple's combined annual salary must be less than £100,000 for them to be eligible. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'It is extremely positive that more families now have the choice of accessing funded early education and childcare and are benefitting from this.' But he added: "We know from a school and provider perspective, funding levels remain incredibly tight, and we urge government to keep this under constant review. When it comes to early education, quality matters." The National Education Union (NEU) urged for more support to be given to Maintained Nursery Schools, which it said provide high quality early education especially for disadvantaged families and children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said: "Given that high quality early education and care is essential to improving children's life chances, it is not a surprise that demand for funded hours are now at record levels since entitlements were expanded. "The government should be building up high quality public provision with Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) front and centre. MNS provide the highest quality of early education, especially for disadvantaged families and children with SEND. Funding pressures make their future uncertain. The government must act now to protect and expand MNS and consider how they can support the delivery of funded hours." Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'It is brilliant to see our reforms to early education delivering for so many families, with tens of thousands more funded places and staff compared with stagnating numbers just last year, and more parents than ever accessing government funded childcare. 'We are setting up even more parents to benefit from September's expansion to 30 funded hours, saving them up to £7,500 per year, alongside our investment in free breakfast clubs and school based nurseries to give parents more choice and slash costs.'
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Schools lose 600 teaching days a year as local strikes escalate
Strikes by the UK's largest education union cost schools almost 600 teaching days last year as local disputes multiplied. The National Education Union's (NEU) 593 days of local walkouts in 2024 represented a seven-fold jump over the past five years. The most recent national strike action among teachers was in 2023 in the midst of a major clash with the Government over pay, but unions frequently stage walkouts on a local level. Strikes often happen in various different schools on the same day due to differing local disputes. Telegraph analysis of NEU annual accounts show the union's local strike activity has soared over the past few years. The organisation held 38 successful ballots among members in 2018/19 as a result of various disputes over teaching conditions, resulting in 80 days of lost learning for pupils that year. This dropped to 48 days of walkouts in 2019/20 but has rocketed every year since then, with 132 days of local walkouts the following year, 155 in 2021/22 and 184 in 2022/23. 'Worst recruitment and retention crisis' Daniel Kebede, the NEU's general secretary, told The Telegraph that worsening teaching conditions had prompted the significant rise in local walkouts. 'Teachers want to be in the classroom not the picket line but the notable increase in disputes across the country is a clear indication of problems facing the education workforce,' he said. 'Problems exacerbated by a lack of funding, an unmanageable workload, issues around pay and, in the independent sector, pensions. All of which are leading to the worst teacher recruitment and retention crisis in a generation.' The union faced protests this week after parents at one group of academies in south London were given just four days' notice of teacher strikes. Hundreds of staff at the Charter Schools Trust are due to walk out this week in a dispute over maternity pay, with further strike dates set for July 15, 16, and 17. The Trust has already agreed to three of four of the NEU's demands for teachers at the group of nine schools, which have more than 4,500 pupils aged from four to 18. It is understood to have agreed to decouple pay rises from performance, form a staff group for workload and well-being issues, and recognise teachers' union membership. But the Trust told the NEU it could not afford a demand for higher maternity pay, which could amount to as much as £4,863 extra for the highest-paid teachers. Chris McGovern, the chairman of the Campaign for Real Education (CRE), told The Telegraph the strike action was 'damaging, selfish and grossly unfair on pupils'. In a letter to parents, Alison Harbottle, the head teacher of The Charter School East Dulwich, said the strikes were 'deeply regrettable', adding: 'I am extremely sorry for the disruption caused to your child's education.' Clash over Jamaican staff NEU members at a separate academy in south London also walked out on Tuesday, with the union claiming that Jamaican staff were 'targeted' by their bosses and underpaid thousands of pounds. Staff at Harris Beckenham said they were launching two days of strike action over complaints they are being 'severely overworked to the point of exhaustion', and have been forced to deal with an unacceptable management style. The Harris Federation, one of the UK's largest academy chains, previously came under fire after being accused of paying Jamaican teachers less than their British colleagues. A spokesman for the Harris Federation said they 'wholly refute any allegations of racism', and insisted that Jamaican teachers' pay and conditions 'are exactly the same as others in the same position'. A 2023 report by the Office for National Statistics found the education sector had one of the highest number of working days of any industry lost due to strike activity. During that year, millions of pupils were disrupted by nationwide teaching strikes, including eight days of walkouts by NEU members in England. Tensions cooled last year after the Government handed out above-inflation pay offers to the public sector, meaning teachers received fully-funded rises of 5.5 per cent last year. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, announced in May the sector will receive a further 4 per cent pay rise next year, although this is only partially funded. Mr Kebede promised to lodge a formal dispute with the Government unless ministers promise to fully fund the latest pay offer, warning that it would lead to 'cuts… job losses, and additional workloads' in many schools. The NEU has over 450,000 members, making it the largest education union in the UK and Europe. Local strike action by other teaching unions is far lower, Telegraph analysis shows, although numbers appear to be rising. The NASUWT teaching union, which has 300,000 members, launched 269 days of walkouts in 2022/23, up from just 25 the year before and 60 in 2018/19.
