Latest news with #TowerHamlets
BBC News
26-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Universal school uniform grant to help thousands in Tower Hamlets
About 7,000 families in east London are set to benefit from a council's universal school uniform £150 will be available to children who are entering their first year of primary or secondary school, if their families have a household income of £50,350 or Rahman, mayor of Tower Hamlets, said it would "go some way" to support children in the borough, while Mohi, a local parent, said school uniform costs were a "matter of worry" for himself and his comes as the government's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill looks to limit the number of branded uniform items a school can require, to ease the financial burden on parents. "I'm working in a solicitor's, but you know, day by day our costs and expenses are really high," Mohi said. "As a parent, we always think ahead. So [uniforms] is something that is a matter of worry for me and my family." The head of London Enterprise Academy said its school uniform costs were more than £200, but that they supplied some items to students free of charge."I realise it's a very expensive time in August for parents, so as a school, since we opened, we subsidised the uniform," its principal Ashid Ali said."All of our students will get a free PE kit when they join our school, and when they move to Year 10, we have always provided free blazers, as the children are growing up." Suraia, a student at the school, said when pupils felt "inferior" to their peers because of their clothing, it affected "literally everything", including their Hamlets Council announced the school universal uniform grant earlier this Rahman said: "It will go some way in supporting our youngsters at primary school and when they go into secondary school."Giving them some financial help, some 7,000 children in a year will be supported."The City of London offers grants to families that earn under £7,400 or are on benefits, while Westminster City Council provides a grant to families eligible for free school meals. Wandsworth Council offered a voucher try to reduce costs for everyone, the government is proposing a limit of three branded uniform items at primary school and four at secondary."This means, for the first time, no school in England will be able to require unnecessarily large numbers of branded items, so no parent will be unfairly disadvantaged," a spokesperson for the Department for Education said. Watch the full Politics London programme on BBC iPlayer.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Academic with apparent ties to Beijing has forged links within UK parliament
An academic with apparent connections to the Chinese Communist party has forged links inside the UK parliament and met King Charles and Queen Camilla. Yu Xiong, a professor of business analytics at the University of Surrey and a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, has attended a dozen events in the House of Lords since 2022 and had regular contact with peers including Baroness Uddin, a cross-bencher. Xiong appears to be connected to the Chinese Communist party (CCP), having until May 2023 led a branch of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA), which states that it is 'managed by' the United Front Work Department. He was president of the UK branch of the WRSA, representing Chongqing, China's largest city. Described by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, as his party's 'magic weapon', the United Front exists to advance China's aims abroad. Under party regulations, its principles include 'upholding the leadership of the CCP' and opposing Taiwanese independence. Security agencies in the UK, US and other western countries have issued public warnings about the United Front's activities. Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, said in 2022 that the United Front was mounting 'patient, well-funded, deceptive campaigns to buy and exert influence'. Xiong has also attended at least three meetings in 2023 and 2024 with Chinese officials to discuss advancing their controversial plans for a new mega-embassy in Tower Hamlets. The plans were originally blocked by the local council but are being reconsidered by ministers after China resubmitted its application last year. His apparent connections to the Chinese government are likely to come under scrutiny as ministers in the UK target parts of the Chinese state under new foreign influence rules. Xiong denies that he is linked to the United Front and strongly rejects that he has extensive connections to the CCP. He said he had not attended any meetings of the WRSA since 2019, and that he had allowed his role as UK president to lapse in 2023. Xiong said the WRSA obtains its relevant permissions from the United Front, along with many other associations with hundreds of millions of members between them. Through his solicitors, Xiong stated that it is 'absurd', 'grossly unfair', and 'overly simplistic' to identify him as someone with links to the United Front and said that it was disingenuous and racist to connect him with the CCP. 'In my role as an associate vice-president and academic, I am required to network with political figures in the UK and stakeholders across the globe in order to advance international cooperation in my field for the benefit of Surrey University. There is nothing unusual about my membership of various Chinese academic/trade associations.' Uddin said she had not been aware of Xiong's role with the WRSA before she was contacted by the Guardian, but stressed that there was nothing improper about their friendship. The pair collaborated on an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) and attended meetings together in London, China and Bangladesh, including one with the Chinese ambassador to Dhaka. Experts said that Xiong's role as UK president suggested 'a high level of integration into the CCP-led United Front system' and 'should trigger further scrutiny of the WRSA's activities in the UK'. Alex Joske, a director at the Australian consultancy McGrathNicol who is an expert on the WRSA, said the United Front 'plays a fundamental role in expanding the CCP's political influence internationally, and it has sought to mobilise its international contacts in support of Chinese government interests. Prof Xiong's connections into UK politics should trigger further scrutiny of the WRSA's activities in the UK.' Xiong has established connections inside parliament and briefly met the king and queen. In June 2023, Xiong posted on LinkedIn that he had met King Charles while attending a charity ball at St James Palace, saying the men 'discussed AI and technologies that will change the world'. In October that year, he posted that he had a 'private meeting' with Paul Scully, then technology minister, through his role at Surrey University. Since 2022, Xiong has attended at least a dozen events in the House of Lords on digital technology and interacted with Uddin and Lord Taylor of Warwick, cross-bench peers who were formerly affiliated with Labour and the Conservatives respectively. Xiong said there was nothing improper about his interactions with politicians, businesspeople and members of the royal family. Xiong addressed several of the events he attended in parliament in his capacity as an adviser to the all-party parliamentary group on the metaverse and web 3.0, which was co-chaired by Uddin until parliament was dissolved in May 2024 for the election. The APPG's secretariat was run by the UK International Innovation Centre (UKIIC), a company that listed Xiong among its directors until April 2024. The UKIIC, whose website was taken down for several months after the Guardian's inquiries, stated its aims as 'upgrading China's soft power and international influence'. Xiong said he was not aware this phrase had appeared on the website and he did not share that aim. At the same time as forging connections in British politics and academia, Xiong has been an outspoken supporter of Beijing's foreign policy aims, including its claim over Taiwan. In 2023, Xiong was quoted in a Chinese state media article about a meeting between Xi and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League. According to the report, he said: 'As new immigrants in the UK, we will leverage the unique advantages of Chinese people overseas in promoting the complete reunification of the motherland' – a reference to China's claim over self-governing Taiwan. 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 Xiong's solicitors in response said that he 'considers that any peaceful resolution of the issues between China and Taiwan is better than a non-peaceful one'. They said: 'Our client is not a politician, and his views about reintegration of Taiwan into China are informed only by his desire to see a peaceful outcome. 'His comments were made shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which caused many people to consider how other territorial disputes could best be resolved peacefully. None of our client's views on this subject should be taken to mean that he does not respect the Taiwanese people's right to self-determination, which is absolute.' In 2019, he was pictured in the VIP section of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. He was invited to attend by the Organisation Department, one of the most important organs of the CCP, which oversees staffing in the party. Through his lawyers, Xiong rejected the suggestion that his attendance at the celebrations on Tiananmen Square represented a relationship with the CCP or the United Front. In December 2023 and February and March 2024, Xiong attended meetings with Chinese officials, which were held to discuss ways of progressing proposals to build a super-embassy at Royal Mint Court, according to evidence seen by the Guardian. Present at all three meetings was Xia Yuzi, the Chinese embassy official responsible for the planning application. The Guardian has seen a business proposal addressed to Xiong by a third party after one of the meetings offering to advise the Chinese embassy on the matter. Dated March 2023, the proposal said it was 'a pleasure to sit down with the key people in the proposed project of the Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court', adding: 'We would be happy to help you on an advisory basis.' Xiong accepted that he received the proposal but said it was unsolicited. After being told there were text messages showing he asked for costs and timeframes, Xiong said that he offered to review the proposal as a way of rejecting it and that he never passed it on to the Chinese embassy. He strongly denied acting as an interlocutor between the embassy and other parties. Uddin, a former Labour councillor in Tower Hamlets, was present at two of the meetings with Chinese embassy officials. The peer said she did not know the purpose of the meetings she attended and did not discuss the embassy plans. Messages seen by the Guardian suggest that in late 2023, she sought to arrange a meeting with Xiong and an intermediary to discuss the Chinese embassy. Uddin said this might have been about the embassy's community impact. Over the last two years, Xiong and Uddin spent time together abroad in Bangladesh and China. In February 2024, they met Yao Wen, China's ambassador in Dhaka, and in April they attended a conference in Chongqing aimed at fostering UK-China cooperation. Separately, draft marketing materials seen by the Guardian list both Taylor and Uddin as advisers to the 'Thames Fund', an investment fund by a crypto company named JKL Capital, where Xiong is a director. Taylor declared he was a paid consultant to JKL Capital between November 2023 and December 2024, when he removed the entry from his register of interests after the Guardian started making inquiries. He said the entry had been made in error. Both Uddin and Taylor said that they had never heard of the Thames Fund and were unaware they had been pictured on its marketing materials. Xiong said the document was a draft which had only been circulated internally, and that the Thames Fund did not exist yet. He said no one had been paid by JKL Capital in the UK. Additional research by Jason Tzu Kuan Lu
Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Times
China told to pay £2m for security at proposed mega-embassy
Deterrents for protesters and beefed-up security to monitor demonstrations are among measures that will cost China £2 million in its attempt to build a new mega-embassy in London. Beijing has been told that plans for its new UK base at Royal Mint Court, a stone's throw from the Tower of London, would also have to include funding for net-zero projects and to train locals in new skills. Tower Hamlets council, which covers the area in which the proposed embassy would be built, has put the total cost at £1,975,600. This would include £336,000 towards a council-led review of CCTV to tackle potential increases in crime and £75,000 towards installing gym equipment in a neighbouring park to discourage protesters from gathering in an empty green. Luke
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
City Hall approves Canary Wharf 46-storey towe
Plans to build a 46-storey tower with more than 900 student bedrooms in Canary Wharf have been approved at City Hall despite the council voting the scheme a hearing on Tuesday, deputy mayor Jules Pipe said the project would "play an important role in helping London meet its annual housing targets", according to the Local Democracy Reporting scheme's approval comes after the plan was turned down by Tower Hamlets Council at a meeting in argued it could lead to an increase in antisocial activity and "noise and disturbance" for neighbouring residents, and that it was an "inappropriate location for student accommodation". In total, the scheme will deliver 912 new student bedrooms, of which 230 will be made available at "affordable" rates - no more than 55% of the market Pipe said: "Whilst this application is for purpose-built student accommodation, it nevertheless meets a housing demand equivalent to 364 homes."We're all aware of the urgent need to deliver more homes, and particularly genuinely affordable homes, if we're to tackle the housing crisis and boost economic growth."Jack Brewster, development director at the Canary Wharf Group, said it had been "very disappointing" when Tower Hamlets refused permission for the project after "over three years of design and engagement" on added that the masterplan was a crucial part of Canary Wharf's "process of transforming, through diversification".The council had received two objections from local residents in response to the plans, and City Hall received one after taking control of the application a few months ago. None of these objectors spoke at Tuesday's hearing, and the council also chose not to speak in defence of its decision to reject the high-rise student accommodation projects in Paddington and in Archway have also been "called in" by City Hall, with hearings expected for each in the next few months.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why is home education on the rise in the capital?
Home education is a "positive solution for those who struggle with school", says 12-year-old Addison, who started off in school but is now taught at home. She is among the increasing number of young people who are home educated. The number of children in the capital being educated at home has gone up from 9,540 in 2022-2023 to 11,780 in 2024-2025, Department for Education figures show. Parents across England are choosing home education for reasons including lifestyle choices, religious or cultural beliefs, a rejection of an exam-based education or wanting to give their child more support with their educational needs or mental health, according to government data. "I can't possibly think that home education is a problem," says Addison. "There's many different reasons to home educate. It could be like you drop out of school because of bullying, or the school not working for you, or because you have special educational needs." Home education is where you can teach your child at home, either full or part-time, which is also sometimes referred to as elective home education. The biggest rise has been seen in Tower Hamlets, with a 63% increase from 240 to 390. Bexley follows with a 58% rise, from 260 children to 410 and then Barking and Dagenham, from 350 to 550 - a 57% increase. 'The school system is broken': Why more parents are home-educating their children According to England-wide statistics, released at the end of last year, about 23% of parents or guardians say their reasons for home-educating are a result of lifestyle, philosophical or preferential choices or to move away from exam-based education. Around 13% of families say it is because of school dissatisfaction, including a lack of support for special educational needs and disabilities and school bullying. In addition, 14% say it is due to their child's mental health. This is the first time the data has become mandatory, which the DfE said may account in part for the increase. A DfE spokesperson said: "In the vast majority of cases, children can achieve and thrive best in schools; but we support parents' right to home educate when the education is suitable, and it is in the child's best interests. "We want children to have the best life chances no matter the education setting." For Ben, who has been home educated his whole school life, he says it gives him "the freedom to decide what I want to do". "I basically do all of the school subjects but I like to do them in my own way," says the 13-year-old. "In English, I'm now thinking about the texts I want to do for my GCSEs." Under the Education Act, parents and guardians who are home educating can follow the national curriculum, but they do not have to. They do have a responsibility to make sure the education they provide is appropriate for the child's age, their ability and any special education needs they may have. There is currently no legal requirement for a parent to let the local authority know if they are educating at home. However, the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill is currently going through parliament. It has plans to include a Children Not in School register, so local authorities can identify all children not in school in their area and ensure that all children are receiving a suitable education. Elements of the bill also include provision about the safeguarding and welfare of children, support for children in care or leaving care and regulation of independent educational institutions. Ben says: "How do you distinguish between those who are vulnerable and those who are not?" Addison adds: "I think they don't understand what it means to be home educated and until they understand what that means, the bill won't live up to its name and it won't help children's wellbeing." A DfE spokesperson said: "High and rising standards are at the heart of this government's mission to break down opportunity and every child should have access to a high-quality education where they can achieve and thrive. "So no child falls through the cracks, we have already confirmed plans to introduce statutory Children Not In School registers in our Children's Wellbeing Bill which will help ensure every child not in school is identified, and that those who are not safe or not in suitable education can be supported." Beth Prescott, from the centre-right think tank, the Centre for Social Justice, says she thinks it is important the register is implemented in a way that "does not infringe upon their rights to home educate". "It is for those children and those families for whom home education might not have been the first choice and we want to find those families and offer them support, should they want it," she says. "For us, it is an extra safeguarding level for a very small minority of children where home is not a safe place, so we know where they are so we can help them if they need it." The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will be back in parliament on 20 May. You can watch the latest edition of Politics London in full on BBC iPlayer Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to More families being 'forced' into home education Infant school to offer part-time 'flexi schooling' Home-schooling triples since start of pandemic Home Education Department for Education Centre for Social Justice
