Sadiq Khan could be leading the way in deserting the foolish war on drugs May 16, 2022 Those who like to think they take the long view of history will tell you that the “war on drugs” started in 1971, when Richard Nixon declared illegal narcotics to be public enemy number one. Yet its lineage extended far further back than that: in the US, Congress banned alcohol for nearly 15 years from [...]
Crime in our capital city will stay high unless confidence in the Met is restored June 10, 2022 London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan warned this week that the cost-of-living crisis may lead to an increase in violent crime in the capital. Policing – like every other twenty-first century public service – is replete with numbers that measure performance. The number of police officers working on the frontline; how long it takes for the police [...]
Man hunt? No, job hunt: Cressida Dick to be offered contract extension before exiting Met police August 18, 2021 Home secretary Priti Patel is reportedly planning to offer Metropolitan police commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, a contract extension as commissioner candidates run dry. Dick’s successor will be tasked with overhauling Britain’s biggest police force after a string of controversies. Although no final decisions have yet been made, sources from the Home Office told The Times [...]
Home Office: 150,000 fingerprint, DNA and arrest history records accidentally deleted January 15, 2021 Priti Patel is facing a backlash after the Home Office accidentally lost 150,000 fingerprint, DNA and arrest history records. The mistake on the Police National Computer (PNC) may mean that offenders could go free due to evidence not being flagged in connection to fingerprints or DNA, according to multiple reports. The PNC reportedly suffered an [...]
China’s persecution of Peng Shuai is shocking, but Hong Kongers aren’t surprised November 24, 2021 Few incidents have brought more public scrutiny about the exercise of power in China than the abuse of tennis champion Peng Shuai. The former doubles world No1 spoke out about violence against women publicly and accused a senior Chinese government official of sexual assault. Then, with shocking predictability, disappeared. Unlike the craven acquiescence to the [...]
Bullying inquiry head quits as Johnson sides with Patel November 20, 2020 Senior civil servant and independent adviser to Boris Johnson Sir Alex Allan has resigned following publication of his report that found Priti Patel broke behaviour rules around bullying. Allan headed up an inquiry into bullying allegations made against home secretary Priti Patel. His report found Patel broke behaviour rules, however Boris Johnson has since said [...]
Covid: More workers to avoid self-isolation as workplace testing expanded July 24, 2021 More workers will be able to avoid self-isolation if they come into contact with a Covid case after the government expanded workplace testing in England. Police, firefighters, border staff and transport workers were already exempt from self-isolation, but only if employers specified their names and they were double-jabbed against Covid. Now a further 200 testing [...]
Government to launch probe into Matt Hancock CCTV footage leak June 27, 2021 The government’s health department has launched an internal inquiry into how the CCTV footage that led to Hancock’s resignation was leaked. A government minister has confirmed that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is investigating how images and a video of the former health secretary kissing an adviser in his private office were [...]
Union says officers told not to check green and amber arrivals for Covid tests July 21, 2021 Travellers from green and amber list countries may no longer face a Covid test check on arrival, according to ISU. The union, that represents border staff, said that officers will no longer routinely check for a negative test result and the passenger locator form. The move aimed to reduce queues, said The Guardian. However, the [...]
Last UK civilian flight leaves Kabul as Afghanistan airlift ends August 28, 2021 The British Ambassador to Afghanistan said that the time had come to end the UK’s airlift of civilians from Kabul. His words came as a defence official confirmed that the last purely civilian flight had now left Afghanistan. “It’s time to close this phase of the operation down but we haven’t forgotten the people who [...]