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Happy deluded Daniel Hannan day!!

Was anybody more wrong about something than Lord Hannan? https://www.reaction.life/p/britain-looks-like-brexitIt’s 24 June, 2025, and Britain is marking its annual Independence Day celebration. As the fireworks stream through the summer sky, still not quite dark, we wonder why it took us so long to leave. The years that followed the 2016 referendum didn’t just reinvigorate our economy, our democracy and our liberty. They improved relations with our neighbours.The United Kingdom is now the region’s foremost knowledge-based economy. We lead the world in biotech, law, education, the audio-visual sector, financial services and software. New industries, from 3D printing to driverless cars, have sprung up around the country. Older industries, too, have revived as energy prices have fallen back to global levels: steel, cement, paper, plastics and ceramics producers have become competitive again.The EU, meanwhile, continues to turn inwards, clinging to its dream of political amalgamation as the euro and migration crises worsen. Its population is ageing, its share of world GDP shrinking and its peoples protesting. “We have the most comprehensive workers’ rights in the world”, complains Jean-Claude Juncker, who has recently begun in his second term as President of the European Federation, “but we have fewer and fewer workers”.The last thing most EU leaders wanted, once the shock had worn off, was a protracted argument with the United Kingdom which, on the day it left, became their single biggest market. Terms were agreed easily enough. Britain withdrew from the EU’s political structures and institutions, but kept its tariff-free arrangements in place. The rights of EU nationals living in the UK were confirmed, and various reciprocal deals on healthcare and the like remained. For the sake of administrative convenience, Brexit took effect formally on 1 July 2019, to coincide with the mandates of a new European Parliament and Commission.That day marked, not a sudden departure, but the beginning of a gradual reorientation. As the leader of the Remain campaign, Lord Rose, had put it during the referendum campaign, “It’s not going to be a step change, it’s going to be a gentle process.” He was spot on.In many areas, whether because of economies of scale or because rules were largely set at global level, the UK and the EU continued to adopt the same technical standards. But, from 2019, Britain could begin to disapply those regulations where the cost of compliance outweighed any benefits.The EU’s Clinical Trials Directive, for example, had wiped out a great deal of medical research in Britain. Outside it, we again lead the world. Opting out of the EU’s data protection rules has turned Hoxton into the software capital of the world. Britain is no longer hampered by Brussels restrictions on sales, promotions and e-commerce.Other EU regulations, often little known, had caused enormous damage. The REACH Directive, limiting the import of chemical products, had imposed huge costs on manufacturers. The bans on vitamin supplements and herbal remedies had closed down many health shops. London’s art market had been brutalised by EU rules on VAT and retrospective taxation. All these sectors have revived.Financial services are booming – not only in London, but in Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh too. Eurocrats had never much liked the City, which they regarded as parasitical. Before Brexit, they targeted London with regulations that were not simply harmful but, in some cases, downright malicious: the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive, the ban on short selling, the Financial Transactions Tax, the restrictions on insurance. After Britain left, the EU’s regulations became even more heavy-handed, driving more exiles from Paris, Frankfurt and Milan. No other European city could hope to compete: their high rates of personal and corporate taxation, restrictive employment practices and lack of support services left London unchallenged.Other cities, too, have boomed, not least Liverpool and Glasgow, which had found themselves on the wrong side of the country when the EEC’s Common External Tariff was phased in in the 1970s. In 2016, the viability of our commercial ports was threatened by the EU’s Ports Services Directive, one of many proposed rules that was being held back so as not to boost the Leave vote. Now, the UK has again become a centre for world shipping.Shale oil and gas came on tap, almost providentially, just as the North Sea reserves were depleting, with most of the infrastructure already in place. Outside the EU, we have been able to augment this bonanza by buying cheap Chinese solar panels. In consequence, our fuel bills have tumbled, boosting productivity, increasing household incomes and stimulating the entire economy.During the first 12 months after the vote, Britain confirmed with the various countries that have trade deals with the EU that the same deals would continue. It also used that time to agree much more liberal terms with those states which had run up against EU protectionism, including India, China and Australia. These new treaties came into effect shortly after independence. Britain, like the EFTA countries, now combines global free trade with full participation in EU markets.Our universities are flourishing, taking the world’s brightest students and, where appropriate, charging accordingly. Their revenues, in consequence, are rising, while they continue to collaborate with research centres in Europe and around the world.The number of student visas granted each year is decided by MPs who, now that they no longer need to worry about unlimited EU migration, can afford to take a long-term view. Parliament sets the number of work permits, the number of refugee places and the terms of family reunification. A points-based immigration system invites the world’s top talent; and the consequent sense of having had to win a place competitively means that new settlers arrive with commensurate pride and patriotism.Unsurprisingly, several other European countries have opted to copy Britain’s deal with the EU, based as it is upon a common market rather than a common government. Some of these countries were drawn from EFTA (Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are all bringing their arrangements into line with ours). Some came from further afield (Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine). Some followed us out of the EU (Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands).The United Kingdom now leads a 22-state bloc that forms a free trade area with the EU, but remains outside its political structures. For their part, the EU 24 have continued to push ahead with economic, military and political amalgamation. They now have a common police force and army, a pan-European income tax and a harmonised system of social security. These developments have prompted referendums in three other EU states on whether to copy Britain.Perhaps the greatest benefit, though, is not easy to quantify. Britain has recovered its self-belief. As we left the EU, we straightened our backs, looked about us, and realised that we were still a nation to be reckoned with: the world’s fifth economy and fourth military power, one of five members on the UN Security Council and a leading member of the G7 and the Commonwealth. We recalled, too, that we were the world’s leading exporter of soft power; that our language was the most widely studied on Earth; that we were linked by kinship and migration to every continent and archipelago. We saw that there were great opportunities across the oceans, beyond the enervated eurozone. We knew that our song had not yet been sung.

Michael Brigo ● 36d6 Comments ● 35d

Should we bomb ourselves?

Google was asked a question:-"which countries supplied israel with nuclear material""AI OverviewSeveral countries are known to have supplied Israel with materials or expertise that contributed to its nuclear weapons program. These include France, which provided a reactor and assistance in building a reprocessing plant, and the UK, which secretly supplied heavy water. Additionally, there is evidence suggesting the US also played a role, potentially through the illegal transfer of enriched uranium. Here's a more detailed breakdown:France:France was a key partner in the early stages of Israel's nuclear program, providing a reactor and training for Israeli scientists and engineers. There was even a secret agreement to cooperate on nuclear weapons, though this was later scrapped under U.S. pressure. United Kingdom:Britain secretly sold Israel 20 tons of heavy water, which is crucial for producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. This deal was concealed from the US. United States:While the US officially opposed nuclear proliferation, evidence suggests some US-made materials may have been acquired by Israel, potentially through a company called NUMEC, which handled nuclear materials. There are also reports of uranium being stolen from the US. Other countries:While not directly supplying materials, some countries, like Norway, were involved in facilitating the transfer of heavy water from the UK to Israel.AI responses may include mistakes."---------------------------"Hans, are we the baddies?"

David Ainsworth ● 41d2 Comments ● 41d

Another Screeching U-Turn By Hapless Starmer

Yvette Cooper made an 'unequivocal' apology to grooming gang victims today as a 'damning' report accused institutions of 'dodging' questions about the ethnicity of offenders.In a moment of shame for UK authorities, the Home Secretary finally triggered a national inquiry into the sexual abuse of underage girls, admitting those who suffered 'despicable crimes' had been 'let down'.  Ms Cooper said a national inquiry will be set up oversee local investigations - something Keir Starmer had been rejecting until his humiliating U-turn at the weekend.  The PM made a dramatic volte face at the weekend after reading the report. He previously suggested those calling for a national probe into the rape and sexual abuse of thousands of girls by gangs of mainly Pakistani-heritage men were 'jumping on the bandwagon' of the 'far-Right'.  Starmer must now publicly apologise to all the victims that he has ignored for so long; and to Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe and Kemi Badenoch who have all put sustained pressure on him for months to do the right thing.  But of course he won't and it is interesting that his volte face occurred at the weekend when he was out of the country and did not have to face the media scrutiny. One of the rape-gangs most vocal victims Sammy Woodhouse, has written a bestselling book about her ordeal and I thoroughly recommend it if you want to know the raw truth.  I hope this national inquiry will expose all the cover-ups that have been perpetrated by the all the local authorities, social services and children's homes involved, the police and by Starmer himself who I believe tried to bury the scandal so as not to antagonise Labour's Muslim voters.  There were 364 Labour MPs who toed the party line and were also complicit in the cover-up, and guess who is one of them ...  There were 364 Labour MPs who toed the party line and were also complicit in the cover-up, and guess who is one of them ...  The list of shameThese are the 364 cowardly MPs who voted against a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation and Pakistani-Muslim grooming gangs.They deserve to be named and shamed.Never forget their betrayal.Jack Abbott (Labour)Debbie Abrahams (Labour)Shockat Adam (Independent)Zubir Ahmed (Labour)Luke Akehurst (Labour)Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour)Bayo Alaba (Labour)Dan Aldridge (Labour)Heidi Alexander (Labour)Douglas Alexander (Labour)Rushanara Ali (Labour)Tahir Ali (Labour)Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)Mike Amesbury (Independent)Callum Anderson (Labour)Fleur Anderson (Labour)😡Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour)Scott Arthur (Labour)Jess Asato (Labour)James Asser (Labour)Jas Athwal (Labour)Catherine Atkinson (Labour)Lewis Atkinson (Labour)Calvin Bailey (Labour)Olivia Bailey (Labour)David Baines (Labour)Alex Baker (Labour)Richard Baker (Labour)Alex Ballinger (Labour)Antonia Bance (Labour)Lee Barron (Labour)Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour)Johanna Baxter (Labour)Danny Beales (Labour)Lorraine Beavers (Labour)Apsana Begum (Independent)Torsten Bell (Labour)Hilary Benn (Labour)Siân Berry (Green Party)Clive Betts (Labour)Polly Billington (Labour)Matt Bishop (Labour)Olivia Blake (Labour)Rachel Blake (Labour)Chris Bloore (Labour)Elsie Blundell (Labour)Kevin Bonavia (Labour)Jade Botterill (Labour)Sureena Brackenridge (Labour)Jonathan Brash (Labour)Phil Brickell (Labour)Chris Bryant (Labour)Julia Buckley (Labour)Richard Burgon (Independent)Maureen Burke (Labour )David Burton-Sampson (Labour)Dawn Butler (Labour)Ruth Cadbury (Labour)Nesil Caliskan (Labour)Markus Campbell-Savours (Labour)Irene Campbell (Labour)Juliet Campbell (Labour)Alan Campbell (Labour)Sam Carling (Labour)Sarah Champion (Labour)Bambos Charalambous (Labour)Luke Charters (Labour)Ellie Chowns (Green Party)Feryal Clark (Labour)Ben Coleman (Labour)Jacob Collier (Labour)Lizzi Collinge (Labour)Tom Collins (Labour)Liam Conlon (Labour)Sarah Coombes (Labour)Andrew Cooper (Labour)Beccy Cooper (Labour)Yvette Cooper (Labour)Jeremy Corbyn (Independent)Deirdre Costigan (Labour)Pam Cox (Labour)Neil Coyle (Labour)Jen Craft (Labour)Stella Creasy (Labour)Torcuil Crichton (Labour)Chris Curtis (Labour)Janet Daby (Labour)Nicholas Dakin (Labour)Ashley Dalton (Labour)Emily Darlington (Labour)Alex Davies-Jones (Labour)Jonathan Davies (Labour)Paul Davies (Labour)Marsha De Cordova (Labour)Josh Dean (Labour)Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour)Jim Dickson (Labour)Anna Dixon (Labour)Samantha Dixon (Labour)Anneliese Dodds (Labour)Helena Dollimore (Labour)Stephen Doughty (Labour)Peter Dowd (Labour)Graeme Downie (Labour)Rosie Duffield (Independent)Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour)Angela Eagle (Labour)Maria Eagle (Labour)Lauren Edwards (Labour)Sarah Edwards (Labour)Clive Efford (Labour)Damien Egan (Labour)Maya Ellis (Labour)Chris Elmore (Labour)Kirith Entwistle (Labour)Florence Eshalomi (Labour)Bill Esterson (Labour)Chris Evans (Labour)Linsey Farnsworth (Labour)Josh Fenton-Glynn (Labour)Mark Ferguson (Labour)Patricia Ferguson (Labour)Natalie Fleet (Labour)Emma Foody (Labour)Catherine Fookes (Labour)Vicky Foxcroft (Labour)Daniel Francis (Labour)James Frith (Labour)Gill Furniss (Labour)Barry Gardiner (Labour)Allison Gardner (Labour)Anna Gelderd (Labour)Gill German (Labour)Tracy Gilbert (Labour)Becky Gittins (Labour)Mary Glindon (Labour)Ben Goldsborough (Labour)Jodie Gosling (Labour)Georgia Gould (Labour)John Grady (Labour)Lilian Greenwood (Labour)Nia Griffith (Labour)Andrew Gwynne (Labour)Amanda Hack (Labour)Paulette Hamilton (Labour)Emma Hardy (Labour)Carolyn Harris (Labour)Helen Hayes (Labour)Tom Hayes (Labour)Claire Hazelgrove (Labour)Mark Hendrick (Labour)Meg Hillier (Labour)Chris Hinchliff (Labour)Sharon Hodgson (Labour)Rachel Hopkins (Labour)Claire Hughes (Labour)Alison Hume (Labour)Patrick Hurley (Labour)Imran Hussain (Independent)Leigh Ingham (Labour)Natasha Irons (Labour)Sally Jameson (Labour)Dan Jarvis (Labour)Terry Jermy (Labour)Adam Jogee (Labour)Diana Johnson (Labour)Darren Jones (Labour)Gerald Jones (Labour)Lillian Jones (Labour)Louise Jones (Labour)Ruth Jones (Labour)Sarah Jones (Labour)Gurinder Singh Josan (Labour)Sojan Joseph (Labour)Warinder Juss (Labour)Chris Kane (Labour)Mike Kane (Labour)Satvir Kaur (Labour)Liz Kendall (Labour)Afzal Khan (Labour)Naushabah Khan (Labour)Stephen Kinnock (Labour)Jayne Kirkham (Labour)Gen Kitchen (Labour)Sonia Kumar (Labour)Uma Kumaran (Labour)Peter Kyle (Labour)Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour)Peter Lamb (Labour)Ian Lavery (Labour)Noah Law (Labour)Kim Leadbeater (Labour)Brian Leishman (Labour)Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour)Andrew Lewin (Labour)Clive Lewis (Labour)Simon Lightwood (Labour)Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent)Josh MacAlister (Labour)Alice Macdonald (Labour)Andy MacNae (Labour)Justin Madders (Labour)Shabana Mahmood (Labour)Seema Malhotra (Labour)Amanda Martin (Labour)Rachael Maskell (Labour)Keir Mather (Labour)Alex Mayer (Labour)Douglas McAllister (Labour)Kerry McCarthy (Labour)Martin McCluskey (Labour)Andy McDonald (Labour)Chris McDonald (Labour)John McDonnell (Independent)Blair McDougall (Labour)Lola McEvoy (Labour)Pat McFadden (Labour)Alison McGovern (Labour)Alex McIntyre (Labour)Gordon McKee (Labour)Kevin McKenna (Labour)Catherine McKinnell (Labour)Jim McMahon (Labour)Anna McMorrin (Labour)Frank McNally (Labour)Kirsty McNeill (Labour)Anneliese Midgley (Labour)Julie Minns (Labour)Navendu Mishra (Labour)Abtisam Mohamed (Labour)Iqbal Mohamed (Independent)Perran Moon (Labour)Jessica Morden (Labour)Stephen Morgan (Labour)Grahame Morris (Labour)Joe Morris (Labour)Luke Murphy (Labour)Chris Murray (Labour)Ian Murray (Labour)James Murray (Labour)Katrina Murray (Labour)Luke Myer (Labour)James Naish (Labour)Connor Naismith (Labour)Lisa Nandy (Labour)Kanishka Narayan (Labour)Josh Newbury (Labour)Samantha Niblett (Labour)Charlotte Nichols (Labour)Melanie Onn (Labour)Chi Onwurah (Labour)Simon Opher (Labour)Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour)Kate Osamor (Labour)Kate Osborne (Labour)Tristan Osborne (Labour)Sarah Owen (Labour)Darren Paffey (Labour)Andrew Pakes (Labour)Matthew Patrick (Labour)Michael Payne (Labour)Stephanie Peacock (Labour)Jon Pearce (Labour)Matthew Pennycook (Labour)Toby Perkins (Labour)Jess Phillips (Labour)Bridget Phillipson (Labour)David Pinto-Duschinsky (Labour)Lee Pitcher (Labour)Jo Platt (Labour)Luke Pollard (Labour)Joe Powell (Labour)Lucy Powell (Labour)Gregor Poynton (Labour)Peter Prinsley (Labour)Richard Quigley (Labour)Steve Race (Labour)Connor Rand (Labour)Andrew Ranger (Labour)Mike Reader (Labour)Ellie Reeves (Labour)Joani Reid (Labour)Emma Reynolds (Labour)Martin Rhodes (Labour)Jake Richards (Labour)Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour)Dave Robertson (Labour)Tim Roca (Labour)Matt Rodda (Labour)Sam Rushworth (Labour)Sarah Russell (Labour)Oliver Ryan (Labour)Jeevun Sandher (Labour)Michelle Scrogham (Labour)Mark Sewards (Labour)Naz Shah (Labour)Tulip Siddiq (Labour)Josh Simons (Labour)Andy Slaughter (Labour)John Slinger (Labour)Cat Smith (Labour)David Smith (Labour)Jeff Smith (Labour)Nick Smith (Labour)Sarah Smith (Labour)Karin Smyth (Labour)Gareth Snell (Labour)Alex Sobel (Labour)Euan Stainbank (Labour)Jo Stevens (Labour)Kenneth Stevenson (Labour)Elaine Stewart (Labour)Will Stone (Labour)Alistair Strathern (Labour)Alan Strickland (Labour)Lauren Sullivan (Labour)Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour)Peter Swallow (Labour)Mark Tami (Labour)Mike Tapp (Labour)David Taylor (Labour)Rachel Taylor (Labour)Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour)Fred Thomas (Labour) (Proxy vote cast by Chris Elmore)Gareth Thomas (Labour)Adam Thompson (Labour)Emily Thornberry (Labour)Marie Tidball (Labour)Stephen Timms (Labour)Jessica Toale (Labour)Jon Trickett (Labour)Henry Tufnell (Labour)Anna Turley (Labour)Matt Turmaine (Labour)Karl Turner (Labour)Laurence Turner (Labour)Derek Twigg (Labour)Liz Twist (Labour)Harpreet Uppal (Labour)Valerie Vaz (Labour)Chris Vince (Labour)Christian Wakeford (Labour)Imogen Walker (Labour)Chris Ward (Labour)Melanie Ward (Labour)Paul Waugh (Labour)Chris Webb (Labour)Michelle Welsh (Labour)Catherine West (Labour)Andrew Western (Labour)Matt Western (Labour)Michael Wheeler (Labour)John Whitby (Labour)Jo White (Labour)Katie White (Labour)Nadia Whittome (Labour)David Williams (Labour)Steve Witherden (Labour)Rosie Wrighting (Labour)Yuan Yang (Labour)Mohammad Yasin (Labour)Steve Yemm (Labour)https://mol.im/a/14817277

Sue Hammond ● 44d55 Comments ● 41d

The era of reductions in the number of nuclear weapons is coming to an end

"Era of nuclear disarmament 'coming to an end', SIPRI warns""The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stressed in its annual assessment of the state of armaments, disarmament and international security, that although the number of nuclear warheads in the world continued to decline last year due to the US and Russia dismantling retired warheads, the pace of such dismantlements is slowing down.The rate at which new warheads enter global stockpiles could therefore soon outpace dismantlements, SIPRI said, as nuclear states pursue modernisation programmes."The era of reductions in the number of nuclear weapons in the world, which had lasted since the end of the Cold War, is coming to an end," Hans M. Kristensen, Associate Senior Fellow with SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme said in a statement."Instead, we see a clear trend of growing nuclear arsenals, sharpened nuclear rhetoric and the abandonment of arms control agreements," he added.Nine countries - the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Israel - have nuclear warheads in their arsenals with an estimated global inventory of 12,241 warheads, of which 9,614 were in military stockpiles for potential use."https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/06/16/era-of-nuclear-disarmament-coming-to-an-end-sipri-warnshttps://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2025/nuclear-risks-grow-new-arms-race-looms-new-sipri-yearbook-out-now

David Ainsworth ● 43d2 Comments ● 43d

What is Starmer's record on prosecuting grooming gangs?

"In 2012 The Times newspaper investigated Rotherham grooming gangs, which led to a major inquiry.At least 1,400 children were subjected to appalling sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, according to a 2014 report, written by Prof Alexis Jay.The report made headlines in the UK and around the world and led to major debates in Parliament.Similar scandals also occurred in other towns, including Oldham, Oxford, Rochdale and Telford, leading to a national inquiry into child sexual abuse, which was also led by Prof Jay.The cases sparked investigations into alleged failures to properly address the crimes and support victims.Was the CPS or Starmer 'complicit'?The CPS, an independent body, prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales.After the police investigate crimes and present their findings, the CPS decides whether to prosecute based on evidence and public interest.Sir Keir was appointed head of the CPS in 2008 and held the role for five years. He became an MP in 2015.The CPS was criticised for a decision not to proceed with a prosecution in Rochdale on the basis that it viewed the main victim as "unreliable" following an investigation between August 2008 and August 2009.That decision was overturned later by Nazir Afzal in 2011 after being appointed by Sir Keir as the CPS chief prosecutor for north-west England.Speaking to BBC Verify, Mr Afzal said that the view of prosecutors not to proceed to trial at the time was "if the police aren't happy that she will give credible evidence then we're not happy either".He went on to say that he had reviewed and reversed the decision as "I believed what she [the victim] was saying".But this is not the only instance where the CPS has faced criticism.Prof Jay's report into the Rotherham cases said the police would often cite the CPS as being unwilling to prosecute alleged perpetrators, but they said that it had been "much more helpful" later on.A 2013 report from the Home Affairs Committee said that "unlike many other official agencies implicated in this issue", the CPS had "readily admitted that victims had been let down by them and have attempted both to discover the cause of this systematic failure and to improve the way things are done so as to avoid a repetition of such events".It added: "Mr Starmer has striven to improve the treatment of victims of sexual assault within the criminal justice system throughout his term as Director of Public Prosecution (DPP)."Maggie Oliver, a former Manchester detective who now campaigns for victims of child sex abuse, told BBC Verify that the CPS "bear a great deal of responsibility for the failures around this issue", including bringing inadequate charges and blaming victims.She added that while there was now much more awareness around the issue, "in my foundation we still see individual cases subjected to massive failures in the systems".We have been unable to find any direct criticism of Sir Keir personally in any of the reports on the scandal, nor can we identify any suggestions that he himself made any decisions not to prosecute.How has Starmer responded?The prime minister has robustly defended his record as the former head of the CPS, telling journalists he:Changed the prosecution approach to "challenge myths and stereotypes" that had stopped victims from being heardLeft office when the CPS had the highest number of child sex abuse prosecutions on recordReopened cases that had been closedBrought the first prosecution of an Asian grooming gangIt is correct that he revised the guidance on child sexual exploitation in 2013 to make future prosecutions easier.Previously, victims may not have been viewed as credible if they had not complained immediately, if they had used drugs or alcohol or if they had dressed or acted in particular ways.On child sexual abuse prosecutions, we found CPS figures dating back to 2007 but the early years are now only on archived web pages - as they are no longer on the CPS website.They show that the "number of prosecutions for child sexual abuse flagged cases" did rise from that year to reach 4,794 in April 2010 to March 2011 - a peak for Sir Keir's time in charge of the CPS.That total was subsequently surpassed - there were nearly 7,200 prosecutions in 2016-2017.BBC Verify has asked Downing Street for more detail on the data behind the prime minister's claim.On reopening cases, Mr Afzal said that the creation of a national panel to revisit cases under Sir Keir had been a success."That panel also included - for the first time ever - external representatives. It revisited dozens of cases that were then restarted," he said.How many child grooming cases were prosecuted under Starmer?In defending his record, the prime minister referred only to the broad category of child sex abuse prosecution data.When it comes to child grooming gangs, there is no single clear data set because no specific offence exists.Instead, offenders can be prosecuted for causing or facilitating sexual exploitation, or for committing specific offences such as rape and indecent assault.Information on child grooming-related prosecutions appear in Prof Jay's 2022 report into child sexual exploitation by organised networks, external - a government-commissioned report into institutional child abuse failings published in 2022.The report mentions several "significant prosecutions" between 2010 and 2014, including 35 convictions which took place while Sir Keir was DPP:November 2010 - five men convicted in RotherhamNovember 2010 - 11 men convicted in Derbyshire2008-2010 - three men convicted in CornwallMay 2012 - nine men from Rochdale and Oldham convictedJune 2013 - seven men from Oxford convictedA Times report from 2011 identified 17 grooming gang prosecutions, external since 1997.It said 14 of them took place during the previous three years and involved the on-street grooming of girls aged 11 to 16 by groups of men across 13 towns and cities.A report by the National Police Chiefs' Council last year concluded that 5% of child sexual abuse and exploitation crimes were group-based - but more specific figures weren't disclosed."https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgn2wvxx5qo

David Ainsworth ● 43d1 Comments ● 43d

Anti-semitic murder comes to the streets of New York

I wonder how long it might be before the antisemitism which is at he core of support in the UK for the Palestinians in Hamas results in a similar incident in London ?From BBC News today."Suspect charged with murder of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC"'The suspect accused of gunning down two Israeli embassy staff members outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC has been charged with first-degree murder, as well as murder of foreign officials and related firearm charges.Wednesday night's attack is being investigated as a hate crime, and more charges are expected, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference.Steve Jenson, from the FBI's Washington DC field office, called the killings "an act of terror and directed violence against the Jewish community".Couple Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were shot dead outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC around 21:08 local time (02:08 BST) on Wednesday, police said. The suspect opened fire on a group of four exiting the event, killing the two victims, police said.Police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago who had bought a ticket to the museum event about three hours before it began. He was arrested at the scene shortly after the shooting.Police said the suspect also shouted "free Palestine" before he was taken into custody.Social media accounts linked to the suspect also indicate that he was heavily involved in the pro-Palestinian protest movement. Investigators said they were working to authenticate writings online purportedly authored by him, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, criticising US policy and discussing the use of political violence'.Not that I am suggesting they advocate 'political violence', but those that are so vociferous in attacking Israel and making often unfounded accusations against them, should be careful not to stir up a hornet's nest of potentially violent trouble makers in the UK.Already, the statistics of antisemitic attacks in London are on the rise.

John Hawkes ● 68d16 Comments ● 65d

Eurovision Song Contest

I am not sure I will be watching the Eurovision Song Contest tomorrow. Firstly I have had serious doubts over the impartiality of European voters ever since 1959.Then the UK's Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson singing 'Sing Little Birdie' were pushed into second place by the Netherlands with the song "Een beetje", performed by Teddy Scholten. A song (but who remembers it) ? with rather dubious moral undertones we have now come to expect from that country.But secondly the competition has been predictably sullied by the coming together of the influences of today's drumbeat political issues - the wickedness of Israel and gender politics."The current Eurovision champion (sic) has said they (he is a man so should be 'he') support the decision to ban Israel from the 2025 competition".Nemo Mettler won the song contest in 2024 on behalf of Switzerland with the song The Code.This song was described by Nemo as one that details their (his) experience with accepting their (his) non-binary identity. A song that must have gone down well in pubs, at parties and any other occasion for fun and jollity.'Ahead of last year, the singer joined critics in calling for a boycott of Eurovision if Israel’s Eden Golan was allowed to participate as the conflict in the Middle East continued to rage on.Nemo, who was the first openly non-binary (whatever this means) act to represent Switzerland in Eurovision, was one of nine acts who issued a group statement expressing solidarity with Palestine.This time around, the singer-rapper (sic) has once again objected to Israel’s participation."Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights."Obviously he has not read the Hamas Charter !Views undoubtedly Gary Lineker would endorse as he also once lobbied to get Israel banned from international football competition.Why is a song competition so politicised and life in general so dulled by issues much over stressed both in importance and the public's acceptance of them ?Lulu, Sandie, "Brotherhood of Man" and "Buck's Fizz" with your naughty skirt pulling routine  - where are you now when we so need you, surrounded as we are by so many miserabilists ?

John Hawkes ● 75d18 Comments ● 72d

Bridge envy: Renfrew bridge (£117M) is a 184-meter double-leaf bobtail cable-stayed swing bridge

A selection of quotes from the below links. Work started on site in May 2022 — Open 9th May 2025. £117M twin-leaf opening road bridge across River Clyde opens to traffic — 9th May 2025 The 184-metre, twin-leaf bridge uses a cable stay system similar to the Queensferry Crossing and provides a two-lane crossing for vehicles, pedestrians and active travel as it connects Meadowside Street in Renfrew and Dock Street in Yoker, with the ability to open for passing ships as required.
A sustainable facet to the project was the installation process.  By floating in bridge segments from Belgium, the surrounding region and native ecosystem were not affected by lorries transporting large components. The bridge materials were fabricated in Belgium in a well-ventilated warehouse with controlled conditions. There was no disruption to Glaswegian neighbourhoods due to fabrication, paint, and assembly of the bridge. The bridge is powered by a hydraulic motor system, and the team uses biodegradable hydraulic fluid.


https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/117m-twin-leaf-opening-road-bridge-across-river-clyde-opens-to-traffic-09-05-2025/#:~:text=New%20Civil%20Engineer-,%C2%A3117M%20twin%2Dleaf%20opening%20road%20bridge,River%20Clyde%20opens%20to%20traffic&text=The%20Renfrew%20Bridge%2C%20the%20first,and%20Renfrew%20Riverside%20regeneration%20project.
https://iabse.org.uk/event/site-visit-renfrew-bridge-river-clyde/

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