6:29 am, April 21, 2024
Met Police chief faces calls to quit over Gaza protests
The head of the Metropolitan Police is facing calls to quit over the force’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests.
Both the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) and former home secretary Suella Braverman have called for Sir Mark Rowley to resign or be sacked, accusing him of having “emboldened” antisemites.
Braverman used an op-ed in The Sunday Telegraph to demand Sir Mark’s resignation, saying people who were ‘flagrantly antisemitic’ were being ‘waved on by the police’. Other figures including deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden were highly critical of the Met but stopped short of saying Sir Mark should go.
Tories no longer a patriotic party, says Starmer
The Conservatives are no longer a patriotic party, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, the Labour leader accused the Tories of denigrating ‘some of our proudest national institutions’ and lacking faith in the strength of British identity to ‘withstand discussion’, as he laid claim to the mantle of ‘the patriotic party’.
In an opinion piece published in the run-up to St George’s Day on Tuesday, Sir Keir spoke of his ‘pride and gratitude’ at being English, saying Labour was ‘at its best when it has celebrated, defended and served the values of our country and its people’ and promised to ‘always put country above party’.
Lib Dem candidate suspended over Galloway endorsement
The Liberal Democrats have suspended a council candidate after she was endorsed by George Galloway.
The recently elected Workers Party MP appeared in a video encouraging voters to back Lib Dem Rabina Asghar, ‘to get Labour out of the town hall’ in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats said Asghar had now been suspended by the party, adding: ‘We wholly reject the divisive politics of George Galloway and do not want any endorsement or connection to him.’
Welsh government to ‘correct’ 20mph speed limit guidance – transport minister
Wales’s new transport minister has said the government will ‘correct’ its guidance around the introduction of 20mph speed limits in built-up areas.
In an interview with North Wales Live, Ken Skates said in many areas ‘routes that shouldn’t have been included, were’. He said he wanted the speed limit decisions to be left to local communities, without the government imposing them.
‘There will be change that addresses the concerns that a lot of people, including half-a-million people who signed the petition, raised on a consistent basis,’ he said.
Listen to the latest Car Dealer Podcast
Jon and Batch are joined by Cap HPI’s Derren Martin this week. Martin gives an early glimpse at April used car prices and decides who wins this week’s podcast.
US lawmakers pass legislation to ban TikTok within a year
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States if the social media platform’s China-based owner does not sell its stake within a year.
The decision by House Republicans to include TikTok as part of a larger foreign aid package fast-tracked the ban after an earlier version had stalled in the Senate.
A standalone bill with a six-month selling deadline passed the House in March by an overwhelming bipartisan vote as both Democrats and Republicans voiced national security concerns about the app’s owner, the Chinese technology firm ByteDance. The modified measure now goes to the Senate after negotiations that produced a compromise.
Record number of runners to take part in 2024 London Marathon
A record number of people will take part in the London Marathon on Sunday.
More than 50,000 people will run through the capital on what is due to be a dry and bright day with temperatures up to 12C.
There will be 30 seconds of applause before the race in memory of last year’s elite men’s race winner Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident in February at the age of 24. He set a new London Marathon record of two hours, one minute and 25 seconds last year with his third win, and set a new world record of two hours and 35 seconds in Chicago in October.
Subaru Outback Touring X will be limited to just 100 examples
Subaru has revealed a limited run of its rugged and dependable estate with the Outback Touring X.
The Touring X comes with Geyser blue metallic paint with black contrasting accents, dark metallic 18-inch alloy wheels, black door mirrors and roof rails while the lower surrounds on the front and rear bumpers are also finished off in gloss black.
It’ll be available from May 1 and will be priced at £43,635. Only 100 will be available.
Weather
A dry day for most of the country today, reports BBC Weather. There will be plenty of sunshine in the south-east and Northern Ireland, although the north will see cloud and rain at times. Temperatures will be between 10 and 13 degrees.
Cloud and patchy rain for the north and Scotland tonight. The rest of the country will be dry for a time, before cloud and rain drift into central areas.
