WASHINGTON (AP) — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, on Monday won a Supreme Court order that is expected to lead to the dismissal of his criminal conviction for refusing to testify to Congress.
Prodded by the Trump administration, the justices threw out an appellate ruling upholding Bannon’s conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol.
The move frees a trial judge to act on the Republican administration’s pending request to dismiss Bannon’s conviction and indictment “in the interests of justice.”
The dismissal would be largely symbolic. Bannon served a four-month prison term after a jury convicted him of contempt of Congress in 2022. A federal appeals court in Washington had upheld the conviction.
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The justices also issued a similar order in the case of former Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, who was pardoned by Trump last year.
Sittenfeld had served 16 months in federal prison after a jury convicted him of bribery and attempted extortion in 2022. The high court order allows a lower court to consider dismissing his indictment.
The Justice Department brought the case against Bannon during Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency, but it changed course after Trump took office again last year.
Bannon had initially argued that his testimony was protected by Trump’s claim of executive privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contended such a claim was dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the Capitol riot.
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Bannon separately has pleaded guilty in a New York state court to defrauding donors to a private effort to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, as part of a plea deal that allowed him to avoid jail time. That conviction is unaffected by the Supreme Court action.
He took on the supersized project following his retirement
A retired electrician who says “you can only cook and clean for so many hours” has earned himself the nickame “Mr Big Stuff” thanks to his new and rather unusual hobby. DIY-fanatic Steve Wainwright builds supersize versions of everyday household objects.
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So far in Steve’s collection, he has made items including a giant pencil, cassette tape and a playing card. These usually palm-sized objects are made out of wood, metal and plastic and can take anywhere from three days to two weeks to complete.
Steve, 62, and from Stanground near Peterborough makes his models from a workshop at the bottom of his garden and has now made 20 different models, including a 1.5m tall Staedtler pencil and a 1m tall cassette tape.
He said: “I took on the role of a house husband as I retired before my wife. You can only cook and clean for so many hours so I decided I wanted to build something. I didn’t want to be bored in the house.
“I had a tape measure in my hand when I saw an electrical plug and I thought I could build that bigger. I settled on ten times the size as it’s easy maths but sometimes I do use a bit of artistic licence.
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“Anything that will fit in the palm of my hand, I will give it a go – lipstick, screws, pencil sharpeners.”
Steve, who also worked with the ambulance service for 10 years, describes himself as a “maker of things”. He started building in his garage but soon moved into a £4k workshop which he built himself. His sculptures catch the eyes of those passing by, and he has also exhibited some items for charity.
He said: “From the male point of view, they’ll say ‘This is amazing!’ But from the female perspective, they usually ask where I could possibly keep everything. I’ve been asked to support charities and the blind find they can identify items by touch, especially with the original, smaller version alongside it. The public loves the pencils.”
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Steve has made a table-sized retractable tape measure whic took two weeks to build, whilst the pencil sharpener took him three days. He has even sulpted giant keys – one shed and one Yale – and said he’d love to take them into Timpson.
Steve says that he thinks he has spent around £2.5k on the materials, but added: “It was never about the money. The joy of it would fade. People don’t appreciate the skills they have and look over just how capable they can be.”
Coronation Street favourite Debbie Webster, played by Sue Devaney, was dealt with heartbreak yet again on Easter Monday’s episode as she realised how she was being conned again
Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster appeared to disown her long-lost son on Easter Monday’s episode of the ITV soap. The hotelier, who is played by Sue Devaney, has only just been released from prison after winning an appeal off-screen after she took the blame for son Carl’s dangerous driving during the Emmerdale crossover.
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Up until recently, Debbie was said to be Carl’s sister but she revealed the truth to him just before she was sent to prison. Back at work at the Chariot Square hotel Carl (Jonathan Howard) was soon up to his old tricks and asking Debbie to bail him out financially yet again. He claimed that he was £10,000 in debt to ruthless businesswoman Fiona (Sara Poyzer) yet again and she agreed to help him out, on the condition that he paid her back by working at the hotel.
Debbie, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia last year after producers confirmed that the much-loved character will be killed off at some point in the future, seemed to be happy to make this arrangement but her husband Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) smelled a rat instantly.
Ronnie is the former flame of Fiona, so had no qualms out calling her up to check on the situation. As he did this, Carl had been pestering Debbie to make the transfer all day and she fobbed him off with excuses about bank security checks causing a delay. When Ronnie turned up on the scene later that afternoon, Debbie said: “I know, Ronnie, you don’t approve of it, but once he’s paid off this debt, he can start afresh!”
Ronnie told Debbie: “I’ve just been to see Fiona. His debt was five grand. Not ten. He’s fleecing you. Five grand on the debt, and another five in his back pocket. He’s playing you, babe. “
Debbie was visibly heartbroken as the truth dawned on her as she turned to Carl and said: “After everything I’ve done for you?” On the verge of tears, she said: “Do you know what? We’re done! Camels and straws and all that etc. I can’t do this anymore, Carl. I can’t do it.”
Viewers will know that Carl is one of five potential murder victims, as teased in a flashforward that aired earlier this year. On April 23, fans will finally discover whether Carl, Jodie Ramsey, Maggie Driscoll, Megan Walsh, or Theo Silverton will be killed off.
Fans were thrilled that Debbie had finally seen the light, but some were concerned that Carl may be able to return to his ways once her condition deteriorates.
Taking to X, one fan said: “Debbie cutting Carl off now that she’s lucid but will he take advantage when she has a memory symptom? A part of me thinks Carl will ruin the hotel as retaliation thus ruining the #Swarla wedding but another part says if he ruins the hotel he won’t have a place to live. #Corrie.”
Another said: “I did love watching Debbie wash her hands of Carl. Let’s hope it sticks though,” whilst a third wrote: “Tell him Debbie,” and emblazoned their tweet with a clapping-hands emoji.
A fourth said: “Debbie’s finally accepted that Carl is playing her. She’s known for a while, she’s been understanding, she’s forgiven him but he just keeps doing it & now she’s had enough!”
ITV local news programmes suddenly disappeared off-air on Monday evening including bulletins from Northern Ireland
James Holt Senior Live and Breaking News Reporter and Karen Price Assistant Editor of Screen Time
20:16, 06 Apr 2026
ITV regional news broadcasts abruptly vanished from screens on Monday evening (April 6), prompting baffled viewers to flood social media asking ‘what’s going on?’.
Television sets displayed nothing but a static ITV News graphic as local news services experienced widespread disruption. Concerned viewers flocked to X to report the technical fault, which seemed to have knocked out Granada Reports throughout the North West region.
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Additional reports suggested programmes in Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, and the West Country were also hit by the outage. The broadcaster’s other channels continued to operate without issue.
Local news bulletins on the flagship channel went dark across various parts of the nation, leaving audiences staring at animated regional studio logos, reports the Manchester Evening News.
One viewer wrote: “Looks like a full network breakdown on@ITV1 with no regional news bulletins across the whole of the UK including @GranadaReports and with them unable to return back to national for @ITVNews.
“What’s happened to the Granada tv region signal? Its frozen on the ITV news logo,” queried another, while a third asked: “ITV1 seems to be down. Just a massive ITV logo and the region name below. Supposed to be airing the news right now.
“What the hell is happening with the local news/ national news in Yorkshire area as nothing on ?” another questioned.
In a message posted on X, ITV Granada confirmed the broadcaster had been encountering technical difficulties. It stated: “Apologies to viewers tuning in for our bulletin this evening – ITV has been experiencing technical problems and is working hard to fix the technical issues.”
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The issues with the ITV news programmes came days after it was reported that ITV was closing one of its biggest channels. The iconic CITV is reportedly shutting down for good after 42 years, with its last broadcast on ITV2 scheduled for April 10.
Having launched the careers of several well-known telly stars, including Stephen Mulhern, Holly Willoughby and Cat Deeley, the channel also aired much-loved shows, such as Art Attack with Neil Buchanan, Tots TV and Horrid Henry.
CITV officially closed in 2023, however a programming block showing all the classics launched on ITV2, so viewers could still get their fix. But now, it’s no more, with the channel reportedly being shut down for good.
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Announcing the news of the CITV’s demise this week, a social media account said: “This really means the end of the iconic CITV brand that’s been around for 42 years. Farewell CITV, this time for real.”
However, revealing that some of the shows would be picked up by CBBC while the rest will be under ITVX Kids, the post continued: “CBBC will have some of CITV’s programming while the rest will be under ITVX Kids.”
An independent review recently found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI”
20:23, 06 Apr 2026
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Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveal the number of PSNI officers dismissed due to sexual misconduct in the past 10 years.
It comes as the Chief Constable pledged last week to take action after an independent review found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI“.
The FOI request to the PSNI asked for the numbers of officers dismissed due to sexual misconduct. It found that from the start of the 2015 financial year, there has been 26 officers dismissed, with the majority of these dismissals taking place within the last five years.
There has been 26 officers dismissed for sexual misconduct in the last 10 financial years:
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2015 to 2020 – Total 3 officers
2021 to 2025 – Total 23 officers
The PSNI “made the decision to withhold the year by year breakdown requested as this information could lead to the identification of individual officers”.
In the Chief Constable’s accountability report for April, he addressed some of the recent misconduct cases he has chaired with officers being dismissed without notice for incident which included misogyny, inappropriate sexual relationships, misogyny, domestic abuse and sexual assault.
It said: “In 2024, I chaired eleven special case hearings to consider alleged misconduct of officers, nine of which resulted in dismissal without notice, one final written warning and one reduction in rank. One of these hearings related to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a person the officer met on duty. He was dismissed without notice.
“In 2025, I oversaw a further eleven special case hearings, all resulting in dismissal without notice. Of these cases, six involved elements of misogyny. Four related to inappropriate messaging, one involved domestic abuse and one followed a criminal conviction for two counts of sexual assault on a colleague.
“So far in 2026, I have overseen two special case hearings where both officers were dismissed without notice. One related to gross indecency and the other related to domestic abuse. We will continue to work closely with the Police Ombudsman and other partners to ensure robust prevention, early identification and decisive action. Where standards fall short, we will act.”
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Last week Chief Constable Jon Boutcher addressed the Policing Board following the publication of an independent review by Rachel Langdale KC that he had requested. It looked at the PSNI’s response to violence against women and girls along with the culture within the force itself.
The review found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI” and that its misconduct process was “flawed”.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “The review recognises a number of positive developments and the significant work already undertaken by officers and staff. It also identifies areas where further improvement is required. I have accepted all the recommendations in full and am committed to building on the progress already made.
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“We are developing a refreshed and updated Violence Against Women and Children Action Plan, where the recommendations from this review will be included, setting out our clear priorities, responsibilities and timescales for delivery. Robust governance arrangements will continue to ensure senior oversight and sustained implementation of the recommendations. We will also report to the Northern Ireland Policing Board on our progress.
“The review was commissioned as an assurance exercise to inform improvement and strengthen operational delivery. In commissioning the report, particular care was taken to ensure that it remained an internal report. This approach was adopted to create a safe and trusted environment for those contributing, allowing individuals to speak openly and candidly without fear of identification or adverse consequence. This, in turn, enabled the most honest and constructive insights to emerge. We are committed to acting on its findings and to demonstrating measurable progress in the areas identified.
“I am sharing the foreword and recommendations at this stage to provide visibility of the key findings and proposed actions arising from the review. These elements capture the overarching themes and intended direction of travel for the organisation as we continue to seek to learn and improve systems and processes.
“Our focus remains on delivering the highest standards of policing for the communities we serve and maintaining public confidence through continuous improvement and accountability. I thank Rachel Langdale KC and her team for their approach to this report and for her honest assessment of our systems processes and culture.”
Arsenal are looking to bounce back from back-to-back damaging defeats in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup when they take on Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter finals
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal will not allow “panic” to creep in with their whole season hanging in the balance.
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Gunners boss Arteta says his players are “hungrier than ever” to save their season from collapse ahead of their Champions League quarter final showdown with Sporting Lisbon. Arsenal have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Carabao Cup final and then crashed out of the FA Cup at Southampton on Saturday to turn up the heat on Arteta’s men.
But Arteta says Arsenal are ready for the challenge of their lives as the Premier League leaders face Sporting on Tuesday night and then a crunch showdown with Bournemouth on Saturday. Arteta said: “I think what we have to do is clear, instead of panic, understand if that happens, why it happened and bring clarity.
“And when you analyse that and you accept that, you’ll be better. That’s it, and that’s the thing that we have to do. We are hungrier than ever, very excited and very motivated. Feel the pain, use it to improve.
“I know what it means to them and I know how much they want it. It’s now the moment to show it, and we have to do it on that green tomorrow at the highest level. I think when you have the opportunity that we have, that has to be taken through excitement, through preparing yourself in the best possible way, focusing on the present and on the things that we have to do.
“And especially in our identity, it’s very clear what is taking us on the way to where we are, and that’s where we have to focus.”
Arteta insists the players can handle the pressure – because they have had their mentality questioned since the first day of the season. He added: “That’s in football, from the first game of the season. That’s going to be questioned. It’s okay, what about Arsenal this season? It’s been like this for the last nine months, and that’s going to continue; that’s never going to change when you play at this level for this club.
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“There’s always going to be a question mark. You have to live the present; you have to deliver it every day. You cannot pick the game, you cannot pick the moments or the actions. It’s every action, every game, every moment. And that’s the standard that we set and that’s part of identity and it’s part of this football club.”
Arsenal have been boosted by the return of Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard to the squad to face Sporting, Gabriel is also fit while Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber could be fit to face Bournemouth.
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The spin-off switches locations from the Australian jungle to the African savannah, and has only aired on one previous occasion.
Featuring previous contestants from the original programme, the all-stars version was reportedly made in case the production was unable to return to Australia due to to Covid restrictions.
Filming for the first South Africa series took place in July 2022, but was not needed as a backup, with the show being able to return to Australia in November of that year.
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ITV then decided to broadcast the spin-off in April and May of 2023.
After a gap of three years, it has now returned, with it having been pre-recorded in September 2025.
How long will I’m A Celeb South Africa 2026 be on TV for?
I’m A Celebrity South Africa’s first episode will air on Monday, April 6 and is set to conclude on Friday, April 24.
For those three weeks of airing, it will be broadcast on weeknights, with it taking a break on weekends.
In most cases, episodes will start at 9pm, with the finish times varying.
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I’m A Celebrity South Africa lineup 2026
The line-up for I’m A Celebrity South Africa’s second series is:
Former football manager Harry Redknapp
Reality star Gemma Collins
Soap actress Beverley Callard
Olympian Sir Mo Farah
Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt
Champion boxer David Haye
Actor Adam Thomas
Former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts
Comedian Seann Walsh
Pop star Sinitta
Red Dwarf star Craig Charles
Ex-footballer Jimmy Bullard
Scarlett Moffatt and Harry Redknapp performed the best on the original show out of the contestants, winning their respective series in 2016 and 2018, respectively.
Other strong performers from the original show include Ashley Roberts, who was runner-up in 2012.
Meanwhile, Adam Thomas earned third place in 2016, which was the same placing David Haye got in 2012.
Mo Farah and Seann Walsh came in fifth place in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
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I’m A Celeb South Africa final to be aired live
In a change from the first series, the final of I’m a Celeb South Africa will be aired live on Friday, April 24.
The Radio Times shares that rather than making the 12-hour flight back to Africa, the entire celebrity cast will instead gather in a UK studio.
Recommended reading:
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From here, the public will be able to vote to crown this year’s I’m a Celebrity Legend.
Discussing the change, Ant & Dec said: “It’s going to be here in the UK, live on the television.
“We’re going to get all the cast back, we’ll have the finalists in the studio.
“It’ll be a live vote like we do in Australia and the public will decide their Legend.”
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Will you be watching I’m A Celeb South Africa? Let us know in the comments.
Gemma Collins will join 11 other I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Allstars for a round in the South African jungle
20:07, 06 Apr 2026Updated 20:17, 06 Apr 2026
Gemma Collins is one of the most prolific Essex stars ever. With her signature blonde locks and bodacious attitude, the 45-year-old is back on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here: South Africa All Stars. The second series of the ITV spin-off, which features some of the show’s most memorable campmates, is set to launch on Monday, April 6.
When was Gemma on I’m A Celebrity?
After being on the show on the 14th series in 2014, but subsequently quit three days into the show due to a bout of Malaria, the TOWIE icon, known as the GC, is returning and hoping everything would be “different a second time”.
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“I’d be like Lara Croft and Angelina Jolie rolled into one, and I’d do the tasks,” she said. I’m not scared of anything. Hopefully one day the producers may give me another chance.”
Gemma is known for her time on The Only Way Is Essex from 2011 to 2020. She joined the show during its second series alongside Chloe Sims and Joey Essex. Her time on the show was a whirlwind of relationships, including a close friendship with former castmate Bobby Norris and Ferne McCann.
Now, she is one of 12 stars signed up for a series of brand new trials and challenges in the South African wilderness. She’ll join Adam Thomas, Ashley Roberts, Scarlett Moffatt, David Haye, Beverley Callard, Seann Walsh, Sinitta, Sir Mo Farah, Craig Charles, Jimmy Bullard and Harry Redknappin the Kruger National Park, home to black mambas, spitting cobras, spiders, scorpions, baboons, hippos, hyenas and leopards.
Speaking in the promo video, Gemma said of the last time she was in the jungle: “It was all a bit too much, to be honest. This is a far cry away from Essex.”
What did Gemma Collins do on I’m A Celebrity?
“It was like I’d committed a murder,” says Gemma of her first jungle experience. “I stepped off the plane and Good Morning Britain was there. I’ve never lived it down. I felt like the woman from Game Of Thrones who has to walk through the streets naked.”
Gemma stayed in the jungle for 72 hours but after not being able to handle the jungle conditions (who would?!), she suffered a panic attack the night before filming began and decided to leave.
Now, Gemma is ready to face whatever the jungle throws at her. The star will be leaving her family, friends, partner Rami and stepson Tristan behind as she faces the trials. Will they be watching and voting for her?
“I did cry for about an hour into the plane journey because I was scared,” says Gemma. “It brought back a lot of deep-rooted trauma from the past.”
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Will she last longer than the first time around? We can only hope. We’re rooting for you GC.
I’M A CELEBRITY…SOUTH AFRICARETURNS MONDAY 6TH APRIL AT 9PM ON ITV1 & STV
A number of participants were observed to be wearing paramilitary-style uniforms
Rob Currell Live news reporter
19:15, 06 Apr 2026
PSNI have revealed they deployed evidence-gathering resources during an Easter Monday commemoration parade in the Creggan area of Derry.
Police said officers observed a number of participants wearing paramilitary-style uniforms, which they believe may constitute an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000.
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The force also stated the parade was in breach of a determination set by the Parades Commission.
Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney for Area Commander of Derry City & Strabane said: “The outcomes of our investigations from previous years illustrates that where offences occur, we will investigate.
“As this is now a live investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”
New DWP powers to check bank accounts of Universal Credit and Pension Credit claimants will be rolled out this year as part of a major benefit fraud crackdown
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is being granted sweeping new powers to crack down on benefit fraud, including the ability to scrutinise claimants’ bank accounts.
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Legislation passed last year introduced a broad range of measures, enabling investigators to request financial information from individuals receiving certain benefits. Officials will contact UK banking institutions, directing them to examine their records for accounts linked to specific benefits, flagging any that may be receiving payments to which claimants are not entitled.
The new laws also grant authorities the power to withdraw funds directly from a person’s bank account should they owe money to the DWP and refuse to repay the debt. Initially, the eligibility checks will be applied to those claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and Employment and Support Allowance.
The legislation indicates that this could be extended to cover additional benefits. The DWP was approached for an update on when these bank checks will come into effect, with officials confirming that they have yet to be implemented, as certain prerequisites must first be met.
As part of the rollout, the DWP will adopt a ‘test and learn approach’ to trial the new powers, which is set to commence this year. In the meantime, the DWP is currently drafting codes of practice governing the use of these new powers, with finalised versions to be presented to Parliament “before any new powers can be used”. The direct deduction powers, which enable investigators to withdraw funds straight from an individual’s bank account, are chiefly targeted at those who have exited the benefits system but still owe outstanding debts.
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Previously, the DWP was restricted to recovering money through an individual’s PAYE earnings or via deductions from their benefits, reports Chronicle Live.
Should the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decide to utilise this authority, they will contact the individual in question, offering an opportunity to contest the matter. Officials will also need three months’ worth of bank statements to verify that adequate funds are available in the account.
The legislation also provides enhanced powers to fraud investigators when conducting enquiries. Previously, they were restricted to requesting information from a limited list of sources.
They can now contact any third party linked to the individual suspected of fraud, requiring them to supply the necessary information. When the laws were introduced in December 2025, Andrew Western, minister for Transformation, said: “It is right that as fraud against the public sector evolves, the Government has a robust and resolute response.
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“The powers granted through the bill will allow us to better identify, prevent and deter fraud and error, and enable the better recovery of debt owed to the taxpayer. A benefits system people can trust is essential for claimants and taxpayers alike – through this bill that’s exactly what we’ll deliver.”
Also on Monday, the leader of Haringey Council, which manages the festival’s Finsbury Park venue, said she was “deeply disappointed by the decision to book an artist whose comments are at odds with our values in Haringey, particularly given the concerns raised within our large Jewish community”.
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