6:46 am, November 10, 2023
Sunak faces calls to sack Braverman after row over Met criticism sign-off
Rishi Sunak is under pressure to sack Suella Braverman after she defied Downing Street by publishing an article accusing police of bias over protests in support of Palestine.
Her claim that there is a perception some senior officers ‘play favourites’, only the latest inflammatory comment by the home secretary in recent days, has prompted frustration and unease among Conservative MPs and sparked calls for the prime minister to sack her after she failed to get Number 10 to sign off the Times piece.
Downing Street was still investigating on Thursday night the ‘details’ about how the article, which also contained a widely-criticised comparison between ‘pro-Palestinian mobs’ and marches in Northern Ireland, was still sent for publication.
Police chief defends right to operational independence amid protest row
One of the UK’s most senior police officers has spoken out to defend force chiefs’ rights to make independent operational decisions amid intense political pressure linked to Armistice weekend protests.
Gavin Stephens, who is chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said that political views could not be allowed to influence decision making.
His comments came after the head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, refused to ban a pro-Palestine protest in central London on Saturday, despite pointed public comments by the prime minister and home secretary.
Police ‘working to understand how machine guns are entering country’
Work to understand how Skorpion machine guns are coming into the country is ongoing as police believe fatal shootings in Merseyside last year followed the arrival of a consignment, the force’s chief constable has said.
Merseyside Police chief constable Serena Kennedy spoke as the force, which saw five people including nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel killed in shootings last year, was ranked outstanding in tackling serious and organised crime by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
Kennedy said Merseyside Police had ‘renewed’ its commitment to crack down on organised crime groups after three fatal shootings took place in the space of a week in August 2022. She said she believed the availability of Skorpions, which are capable of firing 800 rounds a minute, was linked to a rise in fatal shootings – with the Czech-designed weapons used in three of the five firearms deaths in Merseyside last year.
Starmer reiterates position on Gaza ceasefire in wake of frontbench resignation
Sir Keir Starmer has said his rejection of calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East still stands after a Labour frontbencher resigned in protest at the leader’s position on the conflict.
The Labour leader admitted his party was divided on the crisis in Gaza but said there was unity in ‘condemning the terrorist attack by Hamas’ and ‘being clear about Israel’s right to self-defence’.
It comes after Imran Hussain MP said he was quitting his role as shadow minister for the new deal for working people to be able to ‘strongly advocate’ for a cessation of hostilities. Sir Keir has been grappling to maintain discipline in his top team over the conflict, with least 16 frontbenchers indicating support for a ceasefire.
Thursday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Used supercar dealer Tom Hartley’s case discontinued by Serious Fraud Office in court
- Car salesman threatened to shoot colleagues with a shotgun during ugly brawl over football sticker
- Auto Trader sees group profits soar past £160m in hugely successful first half of the year
- Cinch and We Buy Any Car owner increases its stake in Vertu Motors again
- Britain to be a global leader in self-driving cars, says transport secretary
- Official figures show used car sales continue to rise but figures mask wider slowdown
- Used Car Awards 2023: Here’s the lowdown on our upcoming glittering event
Evri invests £46m in customer service improvements ahead of Christmas
Delivery giant Evri has said it is investing £46m to boost its customer service and operations ahead of the busy Christmas period.
It said this will include a new automatic call-back service, through a new phone line, to help customers regarding any issues with orders.
The courier, which was rebranded from Hermes last year, said the facility is expected to allow the business to connect 40% more people with advisers at its UK contact centre at its busiest period for parcels. Evri is hiring more than 6,500 colleagues to help it fulfil orders and deal with customers during the period between Black Friday and Christmas.
Pothole breakdowns hit record high, says RAC
Vehicle breakdowns caused by potholes have reached a record high due to the ‘substandard state’ of local roads, figures suggest.
The RAC said it received 5,978 call-outs to breakdowns due to poor road surfaces in the UK between July and September. That was the most for that quarter since the RAC began recording the data in 2006.
It represents a 46% increase from the 4,085 incidents in the same period last year. The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £14bn.
New Volkswagen ID.7 launches priced from £55,570
Volkswagen’s new flagship electric car – the ID.7 – has gone on sale in the UK priced from £55,570.
Equipped with a 77kWh battery, the ID.7 can return a claimed range of up to 384 miles – though a larger battery version is expected to join the range soon and is claimed to deliver 430 miles between trips to the plug. A more practical Tourer version of the ID.7 is also set to join the range in 2024.
Initially, the ID.7 will only be available in Pro Launch Edition specification, which brings a high level of standard equipment and technology. There’s a new 15-inch central infotainment display with Volkswagen’s latest software which is combined with a head-up display to provide all kinds of information to the driver.
Weather
Cloud and rain will clear the sooth-east leaving a dry, sunny day, reports BBC Weather. The far north-west will remain rainy, though, and coastal regions will still see the odd shower. Highs of 12 degrees in the south.
Rain will clear tonight leaving a dry but chilly night for most. Coastal areas may still see the odd shower, however.
