Politics
Report: $15 minimum wage bill would benefit 20.7 million workers
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Politics
Keir Starmer’s Chagos deal threatening UK-US ‘special relationship’ as Trump to make verdict in DAYS
A key aide for Donald Trump has warned the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius will jeopardise the “special relationship” between the UK and US.
The decision to cede the islands has been described as “haphazard” by former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie.
It comes as Downing Street is hoping for a friendly start to the relationship between the new Trump regime and Sir Keir Starmer.
Wilkie, who is leading the current transition team within the Pentagon, told the BBC: “I think it was a calamitous decision, I don’t think there was much thought put into it. “
He added that President Trump considered the move to be “something that could impinge on that special relationship” between the two nations, and that the Diego Garcia military base, on the largest of the Islands, provides “leverage to project power”.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘”Given Diego Garcia’s status as a key strategic asset, it is right to discuss the agreement with the new US administration.”
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Cooper and Starmer pledge tougher checks to stop youngsters buying knives online
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers a statement at 10 Downing Street in London,
PA
Online retailers will be forced to put in place tougher checks to stop youngsters buying knives after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it is “shockingly easy” for children to buy blades.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs it is a “a total disgrace” that Rudakubana, then 17, and with a history of violence, was able to buy a weapon online and promised new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill this spring.
Writing in The Sun, Starmer said: “It remains shockingly easy for our children to get their hands on deadly knives. The lessons of this case could not be clearer. Time and again, as a child, the Southport murderer carried knives. Time and again, he showed clear intent to use them.
“And yet, tragically, he was still able to order the murder weapon off of the internet without any checks or barriers. A two-click killer. This cannot continue. The technology is there to set up age verification checks, even for kitchen knives ordered online.
“We must now use it to protect our children from future attack and I will ensure that this happens.”
Politics
Donald Trump suffers ‘curse of the autocue’ at inauguration speech as expert blasts ‘outdated’ technology: ‘Stifled his character!’
Political presentation expert Graham Davies has criticised Donald Trump’s “old-fashioned” autocue technology at his inaugural address, claiming he “lacked energy” after reading his speech from the teleprompter.
Speaking to GB News, Davies described the tone as “frankly, a little bit strange” for a newly inaugurated president, suggesting that Trump would benefit from “big plasma screens” rather than a “1980s autocue” method.
“This didn’t seem to be the speech of a newly powerful president, but that of somebody who was, frankly, presiding like a priest over a funeral,” Davies said.
On Monday, the 47th President made several bold declarations about America’s future in his wide-ranging speech at the Capitol.
Donald Trump has been criticised for his ‘subdued’ speech at his inauguration ceremony
Reuters
Despite Trump telling those gathered that “the future is ours” and promising widespread changes, Davies found the delivery notably lacking in vigour compared to his 2017 address.
In his inaugural address, Trump declared he would implement a “national energy emergency” to resume oil and gas drilling.
Highlighting the stark contrast to Trump’s first inauguration, which Davies described as “a festival of fist pumps”, he told GB News that the address “frankly lacked energy”.
Davies also pointed to the outdated technology used during the speech as a key factor in Trump’s muted delivery.
Donald Trump has pledged that he will address issues of border security, energy and the cost of living for families as top priorities during his first day in the Oval OfficeREUTERS
“It wasn’t a modern, transparent autocue he was using, but it was an old-fashioned 1980s autocue,” the presentation expert explained.
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He noted that the antiquated system forced Trump to alternate between screens, hampering his natural speaking style.
“He essentially reads for five minutes off one, then he’ll read for five minutes off the other, and it stifles his character,” Davies told GB News.
The expert suggested that Trump might perform better with contemporary equipment, stating: “He might well thrive with those big plasma screen autocues at the back of a room.”
Davies concluded that Trump’s presentation style needed significant improvement.
Davies told GB News that the new US President could use some ‘presentation coaching’
GB News
“He doesn’t rehearse, he doesn’t practice, and he really does need some presentation coaching,” Davies said.
The expert emphasised that Trump’s natural personality was being suppressed by his reliance on the teleprompter.
His assessment highlighted the need for Trump to develop skills that would allow his personality to shine through whilst using autocue technology.
“His personality comes out on autocue and isn’t squashed by it,” Davies noted, adding it would be crucial for future presidential addresses.
Politics
Axel Rudakubana: Eamonn Holmes blasts Starmer after he defends ‘suppressed information’ on Southport murderer
GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes has criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of information about the Southport attack, claiming the Prime Minister’s legal background influenced his approach.
“He’s a lawyer, that’s what he is and that’s what he puts first,” Eamonn said of Starmer’s decision to withhold details about the case.
The criticism comes after 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty yesterday to murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
Starmer has defended his decision to withhold information about the case, stating he had to “observe the law of the land”.
Eamonn Holmes blasted Starmer stating that “he is a lawyer”
GB News
GB News host Eamonn Holmes said: “He’s a lawyer, that’s what he is. And that’s what he puts first.
“I mean, I regard my job as a journalist to be to challenge legal advice. Lawyers dictate and tell you that you can’t say this, you can’t say that. I always say, why not? How come?
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“Surely there is the way around this. They have a blanket ban on everything. His job is now to speak to the general public to accommodate what people think.
“Of course, he has an argument that he can’t ruin the case that’s been built up and all that sort of thing, I just think he’s a lawyer. He speaks as a lawyer, not as a politician.”
Home and Security Editor Mark White explained: “These criminal cases are robust. I’ve covered them for many, many years.
“Judges always tell the jury to disregard everything heard in the media or elsewhere before. Judge it on the facts before you.
Starmer has defended his decision to withhold information about the case
GB News
“There is little to no risk of genuinely prejudicing a trial by putting some of this information out there, but everything to be gained by being frank with the public and helping fill that vacuum.
Eamonn added: “One of those things to be gained was a lack of disruption on the streets.
“Take that terrible disruption that happened, there surely was a responsibility on his behalf towards what ensued.”
The Prime Minister revealed he was “kept up to date with the facts as they were emerging”, including details about the ricin and terrorist document discoveries.
Mark White shared his views on the statement
GB News
He insisted the information was withheld “to protect the integrity of the system to ensure that the victims and their families get the justice they deserve”.
“It was not my personal decision to withhold this information, any more than it was a journalist’s personal decision not to print or write about it,” Starmer explained.
It emerged that Rudakubana had been referred to Prevent, the Government’s anti-terrorism scheme, three times.
One referral was made after concerns about Rudakubana’s potential interest in school massacres.
Political commentator Piers Pottinger has launched a scathing attack on Rachel Reeves’ reported plans to back a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Speaking to GB News, Pottinger claimed the Chancellor “has run out of ideas” and is “desperately trying to think of something”.
The Chancellor is reportedly set to back a £14billion expansion of Heathrow Airport, which would add a third runway to Britain’s busiest aviation hub.
Pottinger said: “It just shows that she’s run out of ideas. Nothing that she’s done is going to create growth. So she’s desperately trying to think of something.
Piers Pottinger launched a scathing attack on Rachel Reeves
GB News
“So she latches onto the idea of an extra runway at Heathrow, which first of all, will take years before it’ll actually happen.
“The second thing is, of course, Heathrow is actually owned, not, as you would expect by anyone, British.
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“It’s entirely owned by overseas businesses Qatar, Spain, Canada and the USA. And actually, I think that’s another point is that our major ports in my view, should not be owned by foreigners.
“From a point of view of national security our major ports, of which Heathrow is the biggest, should be owned by the British. “
He added: “It’s not going to create growth in this country for the foreseeable future.”
The plans, expected to be announced in a speech later this month, also include bringing a second runway at Gatwick into full-time use and increasing capacity at Luton Airport.
The Chancellor is reportedly set to back a third runway
PA
The Heathrow expansion could increase capacity by 260,000 flights annually.
The announcements are part of a broader package of measures aimed at boosting economic growth, which includes the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing project and a Universal Studios theme park in Bedfordshire.
The expansion plans face significant opposition from within the Labour Party, including Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
Miliband’s concerns stem from his responsibility for keeping the UK within its carbon budget and meeting net zero emissions by 2050.
Pottinger claimed the Chancellor “has run out of ideas”
GB News
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also voiced his opposition. A spokesperson for Khan told the Guardian: “The mayor has a longstanding opposition to airport expansion around London – linked to the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net zero by 2030.”
The move is expected to be unpopular with many Labour backbenchers, both those representing constituencies near airports and those campaigning on climate action.
Environmental campaigners have reacted with strong criticism to the reported expansion plans.
Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: “Resurrecting the idea of a third runway at Heathrow in the hope that a strip of tarmac will nudge up the UK’s GDP smacks of desperation.”
He added that the economic benefits were “dubious at best” while environmental costs were “certain.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp faced tough questioning today over the previous Government’s failure to prevent the Southport dance class murders, after it emerged killer Axel Rudakubana had been referred to counter-extremism programme Prevent three times.
GB News presenter Ellie Costello directly challenged Philp, asking: “How did you fail to stop this man?”
Politics
Labour ministers’ most VICIOUS attacks on Trump REVEALED as President takes office – will he hit back?
Donald Trump has officially been sworn in as the forty-seventh President of the United States of America.
Despite a long list of lawsuits, an assassination attempt, and the best efforts of the democrats and their many celebrity backers, Donald swept the US election, winning all swing states and with it the keys to the White House.
It is an event many liberal elites thought would never happen, a sentiment many in Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet no doubt shared.
Indeed, for most of Labour’s Cabinet, the return of Trump is more than just a bad dream, it is a diplomatic nightmare capable of seriously harming Britain’s most important international relationship.
That is because the vast majority of Keir Starmer’s Labour Cabinet have gone on record to attack Trump.
And as several commentators have highlighted, the attacks have not just targeted his record in office, they have also attacked Trump personally with a slew of vitriolic remarks.
GB News has scoured every Labour Cabinet member’s Twitter and compiled a list of derogatory remarks about Trump.
They are words that, in the case of Keir Starmer and David Lammy, are already being eaten as the pair seek to rebuild relationships with their Republican counterparts.
Starting from the top of the Cabinet food chain, they are:
Keir Starmer / Prime Minister
In the late 2010’s, Keir Starmer was an arch critic of Trump, calling his comments on immigration ‘absolutely repugnant’, saying he would ‘not invite him round for dinner’.
Then, in 2018, Starmer tweeted: “Humanity and dignity. Two words not understood by President Trump.”
The following year, in an attack on Boris Johnson, Starmer said: “An endorsement from Donald Trump tells you everything you need to know about what is wrong with Boris Johnson’s politics.”
But in an embarrassing about turn, the Labour PM has now praised Trump for his resilience, stating his desire to ‘remain the closest of Allies’.
The PM said: “I look forward to working with you in the years ahead. I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.”
Angela Rayner / Deputy PM
The Deputy PM has also been unable to keep her slate clean when it came to attacking Donald Trump.
The ‘red queen’ blasted Trump for the Capitol Hill riots, stating: “The violence that Donald Trump has unleashed is terrifying, and the Republicans who stood by him have blood on their hands.”
She also expressed her joy when Trump lost the 2021 election.
Rachel Reeves / Chancellor
Starmer’s Chancellor called America ‘a once great democracy’ during Trump’s term, highlighting her disdain for the arch Republican.
The Chancellor has not extended congratulations to Trump on his election victory.
Yvette Cooper / Home Secretary
Yvette Cooper has been particularly critical of Trump, most notably stating his campaign for the Presidency was ‘built on vitriol and abuse’.
The Home Secretary has also described his tweets as ‘disgraceful & dangerous’, ‘normalising hatred’ and ‘undermining democratic values’.
She also branded the Capitol Hill riots as ‘Trump’s attempt to destroy democracy’.
Ed Miliband / Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Ed Miliband has been incensed by Trump over the years, famously calling him a ‘racist bigot’ on Twitter.
But the net-zero obsessed Miliband has gone much further in ranting Twitter tirades.
In one Tweet, Ed’s confirmed he would be attending a Donald Trump protest march, stating his ‘racism, misogyny, attacks on democratic values seek to legitimise an authoritarian politics’ and were a ‘threat to society’.
In another he said, ‘Donald Trump has lowered the bar for idiocy.’
David Lammy / Foreign Secretary
Undoubtedly the most famous critic of Donald Trump is Starmer’s foreign secretary David Lammy.
Lammy has called Trump a ‘neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath’, a ‘KKK sympathiser’ and said “Donald Trump lies more times a day than the average person goes to the bathroom. Unsurprising given that all that comes out of his mouth is utter pooh.”
He also thoroughly celebrated Trump’s loss in 2021, stating it was a win for ‘Fact over fiction. Decency over bigotry. Hope over fear.’
Lammy has also said ‘Donald Trump is an enemy of democracy’, and that ‘Donald Trump’s entire Presidency has been a reign of recklessness, narcissism and delusion.’
Yet perhaps the most famous of Lammy’s comments was this.
Wes Streeting / Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Streeting has said: “Trump is such an odious, sad, little man. Imagine being proud to have that as your President.”
The Health Secretary also said Trump is ‘not a friend’ to Britain.
Jonathan Reynolds / Secretary of State for Business and Trade, President of the Board of Trade
The man in charge of promoting trade with Trump’s America called his actions ‘immoral and a threat to our national security’.
And on Capitol Hill riots, Reynolds labelled Trump a ‘disgrace’.
Liz Kendall / Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Starmer’s Work and Pensions Secretary made her feelings about Trump’s first election win clear in 2016. Now if office, she has not posted the same tweet.
She also accused Trump of wanting to ‘silence’ debate.
Peter Kyle / Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle got innovative with his criticism of Trump on Twitter, stating history would judge ‘Trump and his snivelling acolytes.’
Kyle also made his views on Biden’s 2021 win clear, and has accused Trump of subservience to Russia and ‘slavishly undermining American democracy’.
Hilary Benn / Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Starmer’s Northern Ireland Secretary issued a damning tweet saying, ‘Donald Trump demeans the office of President of the United States,’ in 2017.
Benn also blasted Trump’s 2017 decision on Paris climate agreement.
Ian Murray / Secretary of State for Scotland
Ian Murray sook plaudits on Twitter when he posted a clip of him asking the Home Secretary if Trump’s ‘far-right, extremist propaganda’ constitutes a ‘hate crime’.
Lisa Nandy / Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
One of Starmer’s more well-known Cabinet colleagues, Nandy has been prolific in her denouncing of Trump.
On Trump’s visit to Britain, Nandy was enraged, tweeting: “This is not my Britain. If this disgraceful PM won’t stand up to Trump, she will find there are plenty of us who will.”
The DCMS Secretary vehemently backed Trump’s social media ban, called out his ‘toxic politics’ and described his term as ‘disastrous’.
Darren Jones / Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Reeves’ right-hand man has also lambasted Trump, most notably calling him ‘the worst minority of Americans’.
Baroness Smith / Lord Privy Seal, Leader of the House of Lords
Smith has been quieter than some of her cabinet colleagues on Trump, but during Donald’s spat with Sadiq Khan she couldn’t help but tweet.
Most notably, she called Trump’s words ‘offensive, wrong & demeaning of his office’, before backing Khan.
Lucy Powell / Lord President of the Council, Leader of the House of Commons
Powell has only tweeted once on Trump, telling him to ‘butt out’ when he commented on a terror attack in London that left seven dead.
Jo Stevens / Secretary of State for Wales
Starmer’s Welsh Secretary has been highly critical of Trump, regularly firing incensed tweets into the ether throughout his first Presidency.
“He’s a racist, sexist, sharer of extremist ideology, a serial liar and a cheat who mocks war veterans & people with disabilities,” tweeted Stevens in 2019.
The Welsh Secretary has also called Trump a ‘Grotesque man-baby’, described America as ‘Trump’s cesspit of racism’ and accused the Tory Cabinet of being ‘well and truly infected by Trump and his far-right toxicity’.
Steve Reed / Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Taking the prize for the most ardent Trump basher in Sir Keir’s cabinet is Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Reed has been unrelenting in his denunciations of Trump, frequently targeting both his character and his political actions.
Reed has called the President a ‘repulsive slimeball’, a ‘20th-century fascist’, ‘racist slime’, a ‘disgrace to his country’, and a ‘racist degenerate’.
Reed also issued this tirade in 2019.
The Defra secretary also heavily backed the campaign to block Trump from visiting Britain, stating ‘bigot alert’.
At the beginning of Biden’s term, Reed said he hoped Biden would ‘restore dignity to the high office Trump has debased.’
Anneliese Dodds / Minister of State (Minister for Development), Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Dodds backed the campaign to ban Trump from Britain.
Ellie Reeves / Minister without Portfolio
The Chancellor’s sister blasted Trump’s ‘blatant disregard for freedom, tolerance and respect for human rights’ in 2018, backing the campaign to bar him from Britain.
The minister without portfolio also accused Trump of tweeting hate fuelled propaganda.
Commentators have highlighted how Labour’s childish, student politics rhetoric, in part employed to bash the Tories during Trump’s state visit, could come back to bite them as Trump returns to power.
Tweets like those compiled in this list will force Cabinet ministers into a difficult position now Trump has returned.
Do they go back on what they said in an attempt to win favour with America and secure a trade deal? This will no doubt invite accusations of hypocrisy.
Or do they stick to their guns and risk diplomatic spats that could harm the interests of the British people?
Trump appears to be focusing on issues in the US first, but it won’t be long before he turns his attention to the world.
Watch the moment Donald Trump was left exasperated during a prayer service at Washington National Cathedral as a bishop directly confronted him over LGBT rights and immigration policies.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde used the interfaith service on Trump’s first full day back in office to make an impassioned plea for mercy towards vulnerable communities.
Historian Victor Davis Hanson has claimed former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton appeared shocked during Donald Trump’s inauguration speech as they realised he would “cancel everything” they had achieved.
Speaking on GBN America, Victor Davis Hanson said the former presidents’ faces revealed their dismay as Trump detailed his plans during Monday’s ceremony at the US Capitol.
“You could see the faces of our former presidents… they thought, ‘oh my God, this man is a revolutionary,” Hanson said.
Hanson described how Trump laid out his “plan of attack”, including ending illegal immigration, addressing “anchor babies” through reinterpreting the 14th amendment, and stopping “catch and release” policies.
Victor Davis Hanson said former presidents are fearful of Trump’s plans
GBN AMERICA / REUTERS
The historian said the former presidents are all fearful of their legacies being scuppered by Trump.
“Everybody thought he would hold back, but he doesn’t play by the markers of the Queensbury rules,” Hanson said of Trump’s approach to addressing his predecessors.
Donald Trump speaks to the nation in his inauguration speechGB NewsTrump’s inauguration speech included several dramatic policy announcements, including plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
The former president also declared there would only be two recognised genders – male and female – and announced US withdrawal from both the Paris climate agreement and World Health Organisation.
He pledged to sign approximately 200 executive orders on his first day, including measures to tackle illegal immigration and declare cartels as foreign terrorist organisations.
Trump also vowed to pursue a new era of oil and gas exploration, declaring “drill, baby, drill”.
Edginton spoke to Victor Davis Hanson GBN America
GBN AMERICA
During the ceremony, former presidents displayed visible reactions to Trump’s declarations. Obama was caught asking Bush “How can we stop what’s happening?”, prompting chuckles from the 43rd president.
Hillary Clinton was seen laughing during Trump’s announcement about renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
Later that evening, Trump revealed which former president he would seek advice from, praising Bill Clinton as having “a great political sense” while notably excluding Obama and Bush.
Hanson explained Trump’s confrontational approach stemmed from his treatment by his predecessors and political opponents.
“They impeached me twice. They tried to get me off the ballot. They waged lawfare in five different jurisdictions against me,” Hanson quoted Trump’s perspective.
“His view of the world is these people are pretty nasty… they’re not nice people and I’m not going to play by their rules, I’m going to call them out for what they are,” the historian added.
Politics
Sadiq Khan told to ‘get a grip’ on ‘industrial-scale lawlessness’ as London’s supermarkets turn to extreme measures to battle shoplifting ‘epidemic’
Sadiq Khan has been told to “get a grip” on a shoplifting “epidemic” as London’s supermarkets turn to ever-greater measures to combat a surge in petty crime.
GB News visited a number of retailers in the capital and witnessed a number of new security protections in place to guard against shoplifters – including “lock-boxes” on products and receipt scanners barring shoppers from exiting stores without a valid barcode.
One Tesco in Tottenham, northeast London, now requires customers to “buzz in” on a touch-screen scanner to purchase spirits or expensive drinks like Champagne.
Shoppers must wait to be let into drinks shelves, in which every bottle is also individually security tagged.
One supermarket requires customers to ‘buzz in’ on a touch-screen scanner to purchase spirits or expensive drinks
GB NEWS
The scanners all feature cameras and microphones on the front – though when asked, staff assured GB News that customers were not being recorded.
Another Tesco in Holborn, in the heart of the capital, gives customers two receipts – one for their shopping, and another to scan in order to leave the store. Similar measures are in place in Sainsbury’s locations around London.
And with London’s two police forces recording 70,000 shoplifting offences in the last year alone, the Mayor has been urged to act.
City Hall’s police and crime committee chairwoman Susan Hall told GB News: “It’s the mark of a sadly high-risk, low-trust society that shops have to lock their goods – and occasionally their customers – down in order to minimise theft.
“The pernicious rise of lock-boxes and receipt scanners is the consequence of a city where crime has been allowed to soar as a result of those in charge, particularly Sadiq Khan, refusing to take real crime seriously and instead focusing on meaningless press opportunities.
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A Tesco in central London requires shoppers to scan an ‘exit slip’ to leave the store
GB NEWS
“Anyone who thinks that this isn’t going to get worse as Khan prepares to sacrifice another 1,300 officers to budget cuts is kidding themselves – he needs to get a real grip on this, and pronto.”
Meanwhile, former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley warned The People’s Channel that London now faced “lawlessness on an industrial scale”.
He said: “Regrettably, we have an epidemic of shoplifting, and it’s lawlessness on an industrial scale – which affects us all, whether we witness it, whether we’re shopkeepers who are affected by it, or whether we merely go shopping, because the cost of all this shoplifting has to be footed by someone.
“It’s us that foots the bill because shopkeepers increase their prices… All this welcome tech, all these welcome measures which are sadly becoming increasingly necessary – the cost is simply passed on to us.
“It’s the everyman, the everywoman in the street that is paying the price for this utter rampant lawlessness.”
London’s two police forces recorded 70,000 shoplifting offences in the last year alone in Sadiq Khan’s London
PA
“Something needs to be done,” he said. “The Government, the police, retailers themselves need to get a grip – because people are walking into shops with impunity.
He added: “We have to revert to having police services that investigate crime, patrol the streets, detect crime, and prevent crime instead of what we’ve currently got – which is a pseudo-social service dealing with all these ills!”
And Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, has warned that the “nature of theft is changing”.
She said: “Thieves are becoming bolder, with more links to organised crime, stealing greater volumes of goods of higher value, and often targeting locations multiple times within days.
“Incidents are also becoming more aggressive, with colleagues facing physical assault, threats and abuse when confronting a shoplifter.
Susan Hall and Peter Bleksley have called for urgent action in the face of London’s shoplifting epidemic
PA/GB NEWS
“Retailers have invested £1.2billion into crime prevention over the past year, but more needs to be done by police and the Government.
“Police must give retail crime greater focus, dedicating more resource to attending reported incidents, and the Government must make passing the standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker a priority.
“Everyone deserves to go to work without fearing for their safety,” Dickinson said.
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor than tackling crime and keeping Londoners safe.
“The previous Government massively cut policing budgets, which had serious consequences. But Sadiq has filled the financial gaps as much as possible, investing double the amount in policing from City Hall compared to the previous Mayor, including funding for 1,300 extra police officers and an additional 500 PCSOs.
“This is helping to revitalise neighbourhood policing and tackle local priorities, like shoplifting. He supports the Met’s action in targeting theft hotspots and the most prolific offenders.
“But there is still more to do, and Sadiq is committed to supporting the Met Commissioner in ensuring officers can be there when needed most.
“This is on top of a commitment from the Government, the Mayor and the Commissioner to create stronger neighbourhood policing as we work together to continue building a safer London for everyone.”
How often does a 17-year-old go on a murdering spree in Merseyside, killing three young girls at a Taylor Swift dance class?
The answer is never.
Never until the 29th July 2024.
Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls. At first, his name was not revealed.
Jacob Rees-Mogg says the ‘cover-up’ can’t be allowed to happen again
GB NEWS
This left an information vacuum which was filled by half, mis, and untruths about the suspect’s identity paving the way for riots and disorder.
Eventually, Rudakabana’s identity was revealed but by that point the damage was done as the authorities had left the impression he was a Welsh choirboy.
Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government created an information vacuum
GB NEWS
Even when his name was out in the open, it was clear the authorities were not being frank with the public.
It was then another three months until the police revealed the fact that Rudakabana was in possession of an Al Qaeda terror manual and the poison ricin.
The Prime Minister knew about the evidence within a few days of the attack. But he decided that you, the public, could not be trusted with the truth.
It is very odd that the non-terrorist charges were on the 31st July while the terrorism charges were delayed and the British people effectively misled until the 29th October.
In the interim the public sensed something was up. They sensed this wasn’t simply a choir boy from Cardiff. They sensed this attack had its roots somewhere in the murky world of our porous borders.
And yet this Labour government, whose instinct is to cover-up, to obfuscate, to conceal, leaned on the tropes of ‘far-right’ and law and order while the entire nation knew there was more to this story than the authorities were letting on.
But the great deflection has begun.
The government will now try to blame the institutions as a means of avoiding the fundamental question: why did it not tell the truth to the public sooner?
Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy. Democracy only works with an informed public. When the truth is concealed, the trust that binds our institutions together disintegrates. And without trust, we are left with anarchy. A cover-up like Southport, as I see it, must never be allowed to happen again.
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