Churchill statue and the Cenotaph: London monuments boarded up ahead of protests June 12, 2020 London’s iconic statue of Sir Winston Churchill and the Cenotaph have been boarded up as fears of violence grow over Black Lives Matter protests set to take place this weekend. Protective fences were placed around both memorials overnight as officials anticipate they could become hotspots for clashes between protesters during demonstrations this weekend. London mayor [...]
Sadiq Khan accused of ‘not looking after coppers’ in London protests June 8, 2020 London’s police union has slammed Sadiq Khan’s response to the weekend’s protests, after more than 30 police officers were injured. Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Ken Marsh accused Khan of not looking after police officers during the demonstrations and that he was “very disappointed” by the mayor’s response. Thousands attended mostly peaceful protests over the weekend [...]
Trump says Meghan and Harry must pay for own protection in the US March 29, 2020 US President Donald Trump said today that prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle must pay for their own security if they move to the US. “I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in [...]
UK coronavirus: Firefighters to recover dead bodies if crisis worsens March 27, 2020 British firefighters will help the UK government recover dead bodies should the UK coronavirus outbreak lead to mass casualties. The London Fire Brigade will also deploy firefighters to drive ambulances. And they will deliver food to the elderly and vulnerable amid the UK coronavirus lockdown. The emergency service will continue to respond to fires and [...]
Met Police confiscated just one e-scooter a week despite ban March 16, 2020 The Metropolitan Police confiscated just one e-scooter per week on average last year, despite a crackdown on the illegal road use of the vehicles. Of these, 25 confiscations came in the two weeks following the death of Emily Hartridge, who was hit by a lorry while riding an e-scooter in London in July 2019. In [...]
UK backs facial recognition project that helps Beijing catch masked protesters March 15, 2020 The government has partnered with Beijing to back a project aimed at developing facial recognition technology that can identify people wearing masks. The Home Office and the Metropolitan Police are both involved in a programme that carries out research jointly funded by the Chinese state — despite the country’s reported use of surveillance technology to [...]
Knifeman shot dead by police in Westminster March 9, 2020 Armed police shot a knifeman dead in Westminster last night after he was spotted “acting suspiciously”. Officers on patrol spotted a man acting suspiciously at around 11.25pm last night, who later produced two knives when he was challenged by police. Armed officers responded to the incident, which is not being treated as terrorism, and a [...]
Sadiq Khan budget: Uncertainty over Met’s special operations funding February 24, 2020 Sadiq Khan will spend an extra £227.6m on the Metropolitan Police in 2020-21, however its specialist operations branch may face future funding uncertainty. Khan’s £18.5bn 2020-21 budget was approved by the London Assembly today. He plans to increase day-to-day spending for the The Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) to £3.89bn, which includes funding [...]
Exclusive: Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey calls for £104m ’emergency crime budget’ February 24, 2020 Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey will attach an amendment to the mayor’s budget in an attempt to inject an extra £104m to the Metropolitan Police’s coffers. The London Assembly will vote on Sadiq Khan’s £17bn 2020-21 mayoral budget at City Hall today. The 25 assembly members can successfully add amendments to the budget, or over [...]
Mayoral candidate Siobhan Benita wants to ‘Love London Better’ February 22, 2020 For a brief moment in 2019, the Liberal Democrats looked a serious chance of upending Britain’s two-party political hegemony. After years in the political wilderness, the party rode a wave of Brexit uncertainty and parliamentary division to top Westminster YouGov polling in late May, eliciting cries of jubilation from long suffering Lib Dem supporters. It’s [...]