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Cameron rules out Western boots in Ukraine

The foreign secretary acknowledged that the “war will be lost if the allies don’t step up.”  But asked whether Western nations should send troops into Ukraine, Cameron replied “no”…reports Asian Lite News

Foreign secretary Cameron has ruled out Western troops being sent into Ukraine to avoid giving Russian President Vladimir Putin “a target”.

The foreign secretary acknowledged that the “war will be lost if the allies don’t step up.”  But asked whether Western nations should send troops into Ukraine, Cameron replied “no”.

He added Nato must be in the “best possible shape” by the US elections.

Cameron was speaking at a two-day North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) summit of 32 foreign ministers in Brussels.

Nato boss Jens Stoltenberg has floated plans for a 100 billion euro (£86bn), five-year package of military aid to Ukraine, with the aim of finalising a package in time for the next summit in Washington in July.

The move is aimed at allaying concerns around the outcome of the US election in November, with candidate Donald Trump suggesting the US could cut support, and claiming some Nato members were not paying their way.

One diplomat, quoted by the Reuters news agency, suggested the package “goes some way to protecting in case of Trump. But it is impossible to create something Trump-proof”.

Cameron said he’d be making his second visit to the United States since becoming foreign secretary next week and would be urging Congress to give more financial support, which “could change the narrative” in Ukraine.

Nato would have to work with whoever wins this year’s US election, he said, so now was the time to get into “the best possible shape by November” – alluding to complaints from candidate Trump.

He told Ukrainecast: “If we can get that money out of the US Congress, if we can get Ukraine the arms they need, if we can show Putin that he can’t outwait us and that Ukraine is going to fight back and win back more of its territory.

“If we can do all those things, whoever gets in November, we’ll look at the situation in Ukraine and… look at more and more Nato members spending 2% of their GDP on defence and say, this is a success story. I want to invest in this success. So turn Ukraine in the situation and Nato into the strongest possible alliance with the strongest possible prospect of success. And whoever wins in November 2024 would inherit a better situation.”

The UK is a founding member of Nato, formed 75 years ago by countries including the US, Canada and France in order to block expansion by the Soviet Union – a group of communist states which included Russia.

Some Nato members have sent weapons to Ukraine, with the UK, US, Germany and Turkey providing anti-tank weapons, missile defence systems, artillery guns, tanks and military drones.

The US and UK have also supplied long-range missiles.

Nato countries have not sent troops to Ukraine, and ruled out using their air forces to impose a no-fly zone over the country, because of fears such action could provoke a direct conflict with Russia. But the Russian invasion has rebooted conscription, particularly among countries living on Russia’s doorstep.

Asked about fears the war could still spill over the Ukrainian border, particularly in Poland and the Baltics, Lord Cameron gave assurances that Nato would intervene in those circumstances, under the organisation’s Article 5 pledge that “an attack on one is an attack on all”.

But he ruled out Western “boots on the ground” in Ukraine itself, saying: “We don’t want to give Putin a target like that.”

The former prime minister said the UK would use the “architecture of Nato” to deliver support to Ukraine but drew a distinction between a Nato mission “for Ukraine” as opposed to “in Ukraine”.

He added: “I think it’s not escalatory to say we’re going to help this independent, sovereign country to fight off an aggressor and we’re going to give it all the help we can in order to do that.”

Britain has given Ukraine more than £7bn and trained more than 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers, in a programme started under Cameron’s tenure as PM.

But the foreign secretary urged other countries backing Ukraine to also step up, perhaps by donating weapons.

“Some weapons have an expiration date,” he said. “Much better to give those to Ukraine and they can use them than have to decommission them at home that actually costs you money.”

Ukrainecast host Lucy Hockings tried to ask the foreign secretary about his views on the Israel-Gaza conflict but he declined to comment, saying he wanted to focus on Ukraine.

ALSO READ-Cameron calls for increased NATO spending amid Ukraine conflict

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Indian origin Entrepreneur Arjun Talwar Launches Bervera, Coconut Water in the UK

 Arjun Talwar was spotted recently at the International Food and Drink Event ( 25-27 March ) in London . Rahul Laud met him to find out more about him and his coconut water story.

Indian-origin UK-based 26-year-old entrepreneur Arjun Talwar who came to the UK to study at Coventry University followed by his master’s degree at the University of Westminster in Marketing Communications brings innovation and disruption into the UK beverage market with the launch of Bervera: Pure & Simple coconut water. He manufactures this product in Kochi and has drawn up plans to take it global.

Arjun’s journey from managing nightclubs in New Delhi, India, to working on Diageo projects at Omnicom Media Group in the UK, and eventually launching Bervera in just three months, demonstrates his determination, and entrepreneurial vision. Today he is the Founder & CEO at Bervera.

Arjun’s entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 18 when he ventured into the nightlife scene in New Delhi, managing renowned establishments such as LIT and MNKY HOUZ. After establishing himself in the hospitality industry, Arjun pursued higher education in the UK. Having worked for Omnicom Media Group on Diageo projects in the UK, Arjun gained invaluable insights into the beverage industry. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Arjun’s vision for Bervera materialized swiftly. After quitting his job in November 2023, he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to launching Bervera, which officially debuted just three months later, in February 2024.

Beverage, derived from the words “pure beverage,” embodies Arjun’s commitment to offering consumers a premium hydration option that prioritizes taste, quality, and sustainability. Drawing inspiration from his family’s heritage in the food and beverage industry, Arjun plans to create five innovative food and beverage brands over the next five years, all centered around health, wellness, and great taste. Arjun doesn’t want to stop just in the UK but wants to take Bervera global, with conversations currently happening all across the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

ALSO READ: London-based Amol enthralls audience with his Marathi film background score

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Labour commits to Tory childcare expansion plan

Phillipson said last month that Labour would not commit to the £4bn plan, saying the government risks “crashing the childcare system” due to a lack of places for parents with struggling providers…reports Asian Lite News

Labour will back the childcare expansion plan being rolled out by the government if it wins the next general election. Shadow education minister Bridget Phillipson has said Labour will not remove any entitlements promised to families “in the future”.

The government announced an expansion of free childcare to all children under five in England in last year’s Budget.

There are three phases of expansion, with the final one in September 2025.

Previously, 30 hours of free childcare was available for working parents with children aged three and four, although that is limited to 15 hours a week if at least one parent earns more than £100,000.

From 1 April, working parents with two-year-olds are eligible for 15 hours of free childcare and that will be extended to nine-months from September this year.

From September 2025 the third phase will see hours of free childcare doubled to 30 hours a week for eligible parents.

Previously, Labour has said the expansion “would not be reduced” if the party takes power in a general election expected to take place in 2024. The party also commissioned a review of childcare, led by former senior Ofsted figure Sir David Bell, in October.

Phillipson said last month that Labour would not commit to the £4bn plan, saying the government risks “crashing the childcare system” due to a lack of places for parents with struggling providers.

That sparked an attack by education secretary Gillian Keegan, who claimed a Labour win could put the scheme “at risk”.

In a letter to her Labour counterpart, Keegan wrote: “Parents have told me that they are now uncertain whether they should go back to work, grow their families, or take a promotion, because they don’t know if they will still have this childcare provision.

“Will the Labour party commit to supporting our policy of giving working parents 30 hours free childcare a week from when their child is nine months old to when they start school?

“If not, how would you make up for the 60,000 fewer people in work that our policy will support?”

Phillipson responded with a letter of her own, promising a reformed childcare system that will “stand the test of time”.

“I am delighted to see the Conservatives have finally woken up to the importance of childcare after 14 years of smashing the system to pieces,” she wrote.

“As we have made abundantly clear, Labour will not be removing any entitlements offered to families now or those promised to them in the future. Your suggestion to the contrary is an outright lie – and the public will not believe a word of it.”

ALSO READ-UK govt under Tory pressure to stop arming Israel

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UK govt under Tory pressure to stop arming Israel

Several Conservative leaders have called on the government to stop exporting arms to Israel…reports Asian Lite News

Several Conservative politicians have called on the British government to stop exporting arms to Israel after seven aid workers, including three Britons, were killed on Tuesday by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

David Jones, the Conservative MP for Clwyd West, told the Guardian: “The government should urgently reassess its supply of arms and deliver a stern warning to Israel about its conduct. Israel has every right to defend itself and every right to act proportionately. That doesn’t include people who are trying to do good. Given that we’ve seen three British citizens — all of them ex-forces — killed in what is, at best, a negligent manner I think that we really need to reassess our supply of weaponry there. I thought that (Benjamin) Netanyahu’s response — ‘these things happen in war’ — was completely inadequate, frankly, shamefully inadequate.”

Flick Drummond, the Conservative MP for Meon Valley, said UK arms sales to Israel should be stopped “for the foreseeable future.”

“This has been concerning me for some time,” she said. “What worries me is the prospect of UK arms being used in Israel’s actions in Gaza, which I believe have broken international law.”

Hugo Swire, a former Foreign Office minister in David Cameron’s government, said: “What I do not support is the selling of arms which can be, and now look as if they are being, used offensively in Gaza.”

The calls to halt arms sales were supported by crossbench peer Peter Ricketts, who was a national security adviser to the government during Cameron’s leadership.

He told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program: “I think there’s abundant evidence now that Israel hasn’t been taking enough care to fulfill its obligations on the safety of civilians.

“And a country that gets arms from the UK has to comply with international humanitarian law. That’s a condition of the arms export license. So, honestly, I think the time has come to send that signal. It won’t change the course of the war. It would be a powerful political message. And it might just stimulate debate in the US as well, which would be the real game changer.”

The UK’s Liberal Democrats also called for the suspension of arms exports to Israel on Wednesday.

The aid workers — who also included a Palestinian, a US-Canadian dual citizen, a Pole and an Australian — were working for international charity World Central Kitchen to deliver food aid to Gaza when they were killed.

Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper that reported on the airstrike on Tuesday citing defense sources, said the drone fired three missiles at the convoy of three armored cars — all of which were clearly marked with the WCK logo on their roofs and sides — because they were suspected of transporting an armed militant.

The vehicles were hit while returning along a route preapproved and coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces, the report said. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for an urgent investigation into the Israeli airstrike.

‘Voters support ban on arms sales to Israel’

A majority of voters in Britain support a ban on the sale of arms to Israel, according to a YouGov poll. The survey of more than 2,000 people was commissioned by Action for Humanity and conducted before Monday’s airstrike by Israeli forces that killed seven aid workers, including three Britons.

The poll, reported by The Guardian on Wednesday, found that 56 percent of respondents favored a ban on the export of arms and spare parts, compared to 17 percent who did not.

Support for a ban was strongest among those planning to vote for Labour in the upcoming elections, with 71 percent in favor versus 9 percent against.

Seventy percent of Liberal Democrat voters support the ban, while among Conservative supporters, just 38 percent were in favor, with 36 percent against it.

In the poll, 59 percent of people said Israel was violating human rights in Gaza, with two out of three Conservative voters thinking that, The Guardian reported.

The findings will be disappointing for Israel, which has historically relied on strong UK support. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that his country’s efforts to destroy Hamas as a fighting force were dependent on Western backing.

Some senior Israeli politicians have expressed concerns that Israel is slipping into pariah status on the world stage.

Nearly 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, but the deaths of the British, Polish, Canadian and Australian aid workers appear to have created a tipping point for Western powers.

The incident prompted several Conservative politicians on Wednesday to call on the British government to stop exporting arms to Israel.

ALSO READ-‘US, UK could send N-waste to Australia under AUKUS’

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‘US, UK could send N-waste to Australia under AUKUS’

The government introduced the Australian naval nuclear power safety bill in November last year….reports Asian Lite News

Australia could become a “poison portal” for international radioactive waste under the Aukus deal, a parliamentary inquiry into nuclear safety legislation has heard.

New laws to establish a safety framework for Australia’s planned nuclear-powered submarines could also allow the US and UK to send waste here, while both of those countries are struggling to deal with their own waste, as no long-term, high-level waste facilities have been created.

The government introduced the Australian naval nuclear power safety bill in November last year. If passed, it will establish a nuclear safety watchdog, allow for naval nuclear propulsion facilities to be created, including for storing or disposing of radioactive waste from Aukus submarines. A second bill to enable the regulator to issue licenses was introduced at the same time.

Both have been referred to a Senate inquiry, which is due to report on 26 April.

Dave Sweeney, the Australian Conservation Foundation’s nuclear free campaigner, said the issue of waste disposal was “highly disturbing” and that the Aukus partners could see Australia as a “a little bit of a radioactive terra nullius”.

“Especially when it’s viewed in the context of the contested and still unresolved issue of domestic intermediate-level waste management, the clear failure of our Aukus partners to manage their own naval waste, the potential for this bill to be a poison portal to international waste and the failure of defence to effectively address existing waste streams, most noticeably PFAS,” he said.

The defence minister, Richard Marles, has previously accused the Greens of “fearmongering” when they raised similar concerns, saying the government would not accept waste from the other nations.

However, the legislation allows for the creation of facilities for “managing, storing or disposing of radioactive waste from an Aukus submarine”, and defines an Aukus submarine as either an Australian or a UK/US submarine, and “includes such a submarine that is not complete (for example, because it is being constructed or disposed of)”.

The Greens defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said HMS Dreadnought, one of the UK’s first nuclear submarines, had been “rusting away” since being decommissioned in 1980.

“You can go on Google Maps and look at them rusting away in real time, can’t you?” Shoebridge asked Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (Arpansa) chief regulatory officer, James Scott.

Australia chose Aukus and now it faces the prospect of having no submarine capability for at least a decade

“The UK is pursuing a disposal pathway, and Australia will need to do the same. We are fully aware of this; we are engaging with our own radioactive waste agency, ARWA, on this, and it’s something that needs to be dealt with now, not later.”

The Dreadnought’s nuclear fuel has been removed to be stored safely. This has happened with some but not all of the submarines, but there is still no permanent disposal facility. The US also removes nuclear fuel for temporary storage.

Robin Townsend, an engineer and fellow at the UK-based Royal Institution of Naval Architects, told the inquiry that there was “a very big mountain to climb” to safely store nuclear waste, with the technology “still in its infancy”.

“All countries are struggling to not just decommission the submarines, but also … to deal with the waste. Planning is critical. People who say that you need to plan to store the waste for 100,000 years aren’t wide of the mark,” he said.

“There’s very little progress I think it’s fair to say …. I would strongly advise that you do take it into account as early as possible.”

Other concerns raised at the hearings include a lack of transparency with the Aukus deal and the independence of the watchdog. There is another public hearing on Thursday.

The defence department said the bill would provide “a regulatory framework able to accommodate any future government decisions regarding the management of radioactive waste”.

ALSO READ: France seeking ‘clear message’ from China to Russia   

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Sunak expands free childcare as ‘improving’ sign before polls

The Department for Education (DfE) said the childcare rollout is part of the Sunak-led government’s plan to help families, freeing thousands of couples from having to choose between having a family and a career…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday marked the expansion of free government-funded childcare to cover two-year-olds as a sign of things “improving” for the economy ahead of a general election expected later this year.

During a round of local radio interviews in north-east England, the PM was again asked when he plans to call an election and reiterated his previous indication of a timeline in the second half of the year.

While he came under some criticism for laughing off the question during one such exchange, Sunak insisted that the government was heading to a place where the electorate would be able to see a “brighter future” ahead.

“Last year we promised the biggest-ever expansion in childcare provision this country has ever seen, and today we are delivering on our plan with 15 hours of free childcare for parents with two-year-olds,” said Sunak.

“We want to give working families the peace of mind that they will be supported and our full expansion will save parents 6,900 pounds a year – helping to build a brighter future for families and help to grow our economy,” he said.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the childcare rollout is part of the Sunak-led government’s plan to help families, freeing thousands of couples from having to choose between having a family and a career.

“This is a landmark moment, and I am extremely proud to see we’re on track for more than 150,000 children to take up government-funded places under our new offer. This will be a lifeline for working parents, building up to this government’s plan for the most comprehensive childcare support in this country’s history by 2025,” said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan.

“Support with childcare costs has an enormous ripple effect, freeing up parents to increase their hours at work and put more money in their pockets, or giving them the security to try out a new career or passion. It also contributes to economic growth and opens up new career opportunities in a hugely rewarding sector,” she said.

The government claims it is the “largest ever expansion in childcare” which is being delivered by increasing the number of staff and places, introducing measures to boost the recruitment and retention of childminders, launching a major national recruitment campaign and providing over 400 million pounds of additional investment to uplift funding rates in 2024-25.

The DfE says the government will increase rates over the next two years by an estimated 500 million pounds, as confirmed in the Spring Budget last month.

PM squirms over poll date  

Rishi Sunak ran the local radio gauntlet Tuesday — and didn’t exactly help himself by chuckling through it.

The embattled prime minister is on a media blitz ahead of local elections a month today, and faced a tough grilling from local radio stations in the North East of England as he tried to talk up Conservative achievements.

But Sunak was repeatedly pressed by BBC Radio Tees on the question obsessing British politics-watchers: when exactly a general election will be held.

Sunak burst into laughter when asked to name the date by presenter Amy Oakden, and insisted he had “answered that question many times in the last few weeks” and was “unfortunately not” able to disclose the precise date to local radio.

An unimpressed Oakden asked Sunak: “Why is that funny? Sorry. Why are you laughing about that?”

Sunak said he’d been chuckling “because there’s a way that we’d announce general elections and it would be done in the formal and official way.”

Sunak — whose party is trailing in the polls after 14 years in office — has already ruled out a May election, but said only that his “working assumption” is that there’ll be a vote in the second half of 2024.

He told BBC Radio Newcastle Tuesday that there had been “no change” to this position. Under British rules, Sunak must call an election no later than January 28 next year, but the precise timing before then is in his gift.

Sunak is not the first prime minister to struggle with the scrutiny of local radio broadcasters, who often ask questions that stray from the usual Westminster talking points. Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss famously came under fire in a bruising local media round during her own short-lived premiership.

ALSO READ-Situation in Gaza intolerable, Sunak tells Bibi

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Situation in Gaza intolerable, Sunak tells Bibi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the incident, acknowledging that the military “unintentionally struck innocent people”…reports Asian Lite News

In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conveyed his deep concern regarding an Israeli strike on an aid convoy in Gaza.

The attack resulted in the loss of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen, including three British nationals. In an official statement from Downing Street, Sunak emphasised the urgent need for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the incident.

“The Prime Minister said far too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is increasingly intolerable,” the statement said.

“The UK expects to see immediate action by Israel to end restrictions on humanitarian aid, deconflict with the UN and aid agencies, protect civilians and repair vital infrastructure like hospitals and water networks,” it added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the incident, acknowledging that the military “unintentionally struck innocent people.” The Israel Defence Forces have pledged to conduct an investigation “at the highest levels” in response to the tragic event.

Summons for Israeli envoy

Meanwhile, the government summoned the Israeli ambassador to London for a decisive discussion. British Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, summoned the Israel’s ambassador to set out the government’s “unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals,” he said in a Foreign Office press release.

“I requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and full accountability,” Mitchell said, adding, “I reiterated the need for Israel to put in place an effective deconfliction mechanism immediately and urgently to scale up humanitarian access. We need to see an immediate humanitarian pause, to get aid in and the hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable ceasefire.”

Earlier reports revealed that seven members of the World Central Kitchen team were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza, prompting the organisation to halt its operations in the region with immediate effect.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the incident, acknowledging that the military “unintentionally struck innocent people.” The Israel Defence Forces have pledged to conduct an investigation “at the highest levels” in response to the tragic event.

A US-Canadian dual citizen was among the casualties of the strike, confirmed by a US official, adding to the international outcry over the loss of life.

Experts analysing the aftermath of the airstrike have raised concerns about the nature of the attack. Chris Cobb-Smith, an explosive weapons expert, suggested that the heavy damage inflicted on the vehicles, as depicted in video and images from the scene, was consistent with the use of “highly accurate drone-fired missiles.” He emphasised the significant level of destruction witnessed and expressed scepticism about the incident being accidental.

Cobb-Smith’s observations were supported by Patrick Senft, a research coordinator at Armament Research Services (ARES), who noted that the aftermath of the strike appeared to align with the deployment of munitions by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

“Without munition fragments, I can’t say anything for certain, but the damage to the vehicles appears consistent with precision-guided munitions with a small explosive payload,” Senft said.

Herzog speaks with World Central Kitchen founder

President of Israel Isaac Herzog spoke Tuesday evening with World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Chef Jose Andres.

President Herzog expressed his “deep sorrow and sincere apologies” over the tragic deaths of Seven WCK staff in the Gaza Strip Monday night and sent his condolences to their families and loved ones.

The President reiterated Israel’s commitment to ensuring a thorough investigation of the tragedy, which occurred amidst the ongoing war against the terrorist organisation Hamas.

He also affirmed Israel’s commitment to delivering and upgrading humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and said that efforts must continue to bring about the immediate release of all the hostages held by Hamas.

President Herzog thanked Chef Andres and the WCK for their commitment to the wellbeing of Israelis and Palestinians, and to the values of humanity.

IDF chief apologises

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has apologised for the airstrike on an aid convoy in Gaza that led to the death of seven workers of World Control Kitchen (WCK).

In a statement late Tuesday, IDF chief Herzi Halevi said that seven employees of the World Central Kitchen were killed on Monday night. The mishap occurred due to “misidentification” and an investigation has been launched.

Halevi further said that WCK is an important organisation that worked in conflict areas and the IDF had worked closely with it in the past.

He also said that the IDF has already completed its preliminary probe into the strike and the findings were shared with him.

There were “no intentions” for harming the WCK aid workers, added the IDF chief.

ALSO READ-US President Calls WCK Workers’ Deaths in Gaza ‘Tragedy

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Ministers face Tory revolt over plans to criminalise rough sleeping

On Monday, Kevin Hollinrake, a business minister, refused to say whether he supported the plans…reports Asian Lite News

Ministers are facing a revolt from their own MPs over plans to criminalise homelessness in upcoming legislation.

Under proposals that form part of the UK government’s flagship crime bill, police in England and Wales are to be given powers to fine or move on rough sleepers deemed to be causing a “nuisance”.

The move has infuriated many Conservative MPs, about 40 of whom have warned whips they will vote against the measures, the Times reported.

Bob Blackman, the Tory MP who is coordinating the rebellion, told the paper: “A lot of colleagues believe that the bill as it stands is completely unacceptable because it would have the effect of criminalising people who have no choice but to sleep on the streets. We are urging ministers to think again.”

On Monday, Kevin Hollinrake, a business minister, refused to say whether he supported the plans.

“I believe that those things are not within my auspices,” he told Times Radio. “I’ll be interested to see the legislation as it goes through. And what the prime minister has planned.”

The proposals form part of the criminal justice bill, which is going through the House of Commons and is due to become law before the general election.

They were announced by the former home secretary Suella Braverman and would give police and local authorities powers to act against “nuisance rough sleeping” in England and Wales. Rough sleepers could be moved on, fined up to £2,500 or imprisoned.

Senior Tory MPs on the left and right of the party, including the former leader Iain Duncan Smith and the One Nation caucus chair, Damian Green, have signed amendments to the legislation to remove the plans to criminalise rough sleeping.

Critics say the legislation is so broadly drawn that someone could be considered a nuisance for sleeping in a doorway, being deemed to have an excessive smell or looking as though they intend to sleep rough.

Hollinrake insisted the proposals were only one part of a wider government strategy to get people off the streets. “That’s just part of the things we’re looking to do in terms of making sure that people don’t sleep on the streets and that’s not right, we want to provide the resources for people, housing, improving the number of refuges people can sleep in, and the amount of social housing and affordable housing, which we’ve done,” he said.

“I think [there are] about 700,000 more affordable homes than there were in 2010, so significant progress we have made in terms of these kinds of issues. But nevertheless, there’s a lot to do and it’s important we’ve created ways to try and deal with those issues.”

Polly Neate, the chief executive of the homelessness charity Shelter, said on X the plans were “cruel and nonsensical” and sought “to punish people for ending up on the streets”.

Matt Downie, the chief executive of Crisis, another homelessness charity, said: “It is a cruel and counterproductive idea. It must not be allowed to pass. I’m hugely grateful to the MPs on all sides that have worked with us to stop it.”

The Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: “The heartless proposals in the criminal justice bill risk bringing back the Vagrancy Act by the back door. The government should listen to their own backbenchers and take a compassionate approach to tackling homelessness, instead of stigmatising and criminalising rough sleepers.”

While she was home secretary, Braverman branded rough sleeping a “lifestyle choice” and declared that “we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad”. Her remarks triggered outrage from Conservative MPs and she was sacked less than two weeks later after Rishi Sunak accused her of making statements he had not approved.

The broad nature of the criminal justice bill has led MPs to use the legislation as an opportunity to attach other proposals, including banning conversion practices and decriminalising abortion in England and Wales.

ALSO READ-Tory rebels warn Sunak on poll date

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JK Rowling dares police to arrest her  

Rowling put out a series of comments on X lashing out against transgender women, including double rapist Isla Bryson, who was jailed for eight years last year for raping two women…reports Asian Lite News

JK Rowling has dared police to arrest her as the Harry Potter author lashed out against new hate crime laws that have come into force in Scotland

The new measures aim to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice, extending protections from abusive behaviour to people on grounds including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity.

A Holyrood minister, Siobhian Brown MSP, said on Monday people “could be investigated” for misgendering someone online. Those who support the new laws insist they will make Scotland more tolerant. But critics such as Rowling say the legislation could stifle free speech – and fails to extend these protections to women.

Rowling put out a series of comments on X lashing out against transgender women, including double rapist Isla Bryson, who was jailed for eight years last year for raping two women.

Rowling said: “I’m currently out of the country, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.”

She said the new legislation “is wide open to abuse by activists who wish to silence those of us speaking out about the dangers of eliminating women’s and girls’ single-sex spaces, the nonsense made of crime data if violent and sexual assaults committed by men are recorded as female crimes, the grotesque unfairness of allowing males to compete in female sports, the injustice of women’s jobs, honours and opportunities being taken by trans-identified men, and the reality and immutability of biological sex”.

Rowling has long been involved in a battle with the transgender community, who accuses her of being transphobic. The author denies the accusation, saying she wants to defend women’s rights.

On Monday she went on to say: “The re-definition of ‘woman’ to include every man who declares himself one has already had serious consequences for women’s and girls’ rights and safety in Scotland, with the strongest impact felt, as ever, by the most vulnerable, including female prisoners and rape survivors.

“It is impossible to accurately describe or tackle the reality of violence and sexual violence committed against women and girls, or address the current assault on women’s and girls’ rights, unless we are allowed to call a man a man. Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal.”

ALSO READ-Seattle’s museum of pop culture removes J.K. Rowling’s exhibits amid controversy

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Labour plans to axe hereditary peers in House of Lords

Although they would no longer be able to make or vote on laws, the hereditary peers would be allowed to keep their passes to the Westminster estate…reports Asian Lite News

Labour plans to swiftly abolish all hereditary peers in the UK House of Lords in its first term in power but will allow the ousted legislators to retain access to the Palace of Westminster as a sweetener, according to party insiders.

Sir Keir Starmer previously branded the unelected chamber “undemocratic” and “indefensible”. But in recent months the Labour leader has resolved to delay plans to scrap the upper house altogether, pushing that ambition beyond a first five-year parliament.

Instead, a Labour government would prioritise ending the “anachronistic” system under which 92 seats in the Lords are reserved for British aristocrats by axing the hereditary peers’ status as legislators, party insiders said.

They added that the party, if it wins the general election expected this year, will act quickly to scrap the hereditary element — jettisoning a weaker proposal to reduce the number slowly by ending the by-elections that take place after a hereditary peer retires or dies in order to appoint a successor.

One Labour official said the latter proposal would have taken too long to reduce the size of the “bloated” upper house, which has swelled to almost 800 members and is the second-largest legislative chamber in the world behind China’s rubber-stamp National People’s Congress.

The tweaked plans came after party chiefs privately conceded that attempting more ambitious constitutional reforms to overhaul the whole House of Lords would absorb too much bandwidth and detract from Labour’s economic priorities in its first term.

Although they would no longer be able to make or vote on laws, the hereditary peers would be allowed to keep their passes to the Westminster estate. Nicknamed the “best club in London”, it has Thames-side terraces, sumptuous Gothic interiors designed by renowned architect Augustus Pugin and taxpayer-subsidised bars and restaurants.

“The crucial thing is ending the anachronism of hereditary peers enjoying a role as legislators of the realm by dint of their aristocratic birthright. They can keep their passes to parliament — we’re not bothered about that,” said one senior Labour insider.

There is also a political impetus behind Starmer axing hereditary peers: 47 of the current crop are Conservatives, while just four sit on the Labour benches and four sit on the Liberal Democrat benches. A further 34 are cross-benchers and two are non-affiliated.

The Lord Speaker’s committee on the size of the House has also recommended the abolition of hereditary peers. Last July it noted that all hereditary peers in the House at present are men. This “skews the gender balance” of the chamber, which is “impossible to justify in a modern legislature”, it said.

The committee also complained that hereditary peers elected to the Lords are not subject to propriety checks, unlike people nominated for life peerages who are subjected to vetting and can be screened out. “This difference of treatment in a house of peers is unjustifiable,” it said.

Removing more than 90 peers as legislators would also help bring down the cost of the upper chamber. Peers are entitled to claim a flat-rate daily attendance allowance of £342. The cost of the House of Lords members finance scheme, which includes peers’ allowances and travel expenses, totalled £21.1mn in 2022-23, official data shows.

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