Stephen Lawrence’s mother tells spycops inquiry Met police’s priorities after her son’s murder were ‘completely misplaced’ The mother of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has told a public inquiry that she found it “deeply painful” to discover that police deployed undercover officers to spy on her family and their campaign to get his killers prosecuted. Doreen Lawrence said the police’s priorities were “completely misplaced” and they should have been concentrating on bringing the racist murderers of her son to justice. Continue reading...

Spycops inquiry has heard James Thomson lied to superiors and deceived two women into relationships Managers of an undercover police officer believed that he had concocted a plot in which animal rights activists purportedly sought to obtain a gun to inflict a revenge attack on a political opponent, the spycops public inquiry has heard. The officer, James Thomson, claimed he had uncovered the plot while he infiltrated animal rights groups. But his managers later came to doubt whether it was genuine, one of them appearing to call it “bollocks”. Continue reading...

Mother of murdered teenager to challenge ruling that David Hagan is too ill to give live evidence at spycops inquiry

It is the BBC’s entire governance structure–rather than individual stories–that should cause most concern

Spycops inquiry hears James Thomson lied to superiors and deceived two women into relationships

Spycops inquiry has heard James Thomson lied to superiors and deceived two women into relationships

Spycops inquiry hears James Thomson lied to superiors and deceived two women into relationships

Law aimed at tackling harassment will criminalise protests outside homes of MPs in England and Wales amid rise in complaints Activists could be jailed for up to six months for protesting outside MPs’ homes in England and Wales under a new law aimed at tackling harassment of politicians after a surge of intimidation complaints. The law would criminalise protests outside the homes of MPs, peers and councillors as well as others who have stood for public office – and is likely to draw further criticism that the government is squeezing the right to protest. Continue reading...

‘Impressively professional journalist’ with a commitment to social justice was also European business editor * David Gow obituary David Gow, a former Germany correspondent and European business editor of the Guardian whose strong commitment to social justice and to the EU project continued long after he left the paper, has died of a heart attack aged 80. Gow joined the Scotsman as a graduate trainee in 1969 before becoming the paper’s first Europe correspondent, then labour correspondent and finally its London editor. After nearly 20 years there Gow moved to the Guardian in 1989. Continue reading...

Kent county council says union flags and flags of St George must come off street lights because of safety concerns A Reform-led council has ruled that union and St George’s flags must come down in order for a village’s traditional Christmas lights to go ahead, in a decision described as “beyond ironic”. Harrietsham parish council was told by Kent county council – whose leader once vowed not to remove flags put up “unilaterally by the people of Kent” – that flags must come down from street lights before festive lights go up because of safety concerns. Continue reading...

Mother of murdered teenager to challenge ruling that David Hagan is too ill to give live evidence at spycops inquiry

Mother of murdered teenager to challenge ruling that David Hagan is too ill to give live evidence at spycops inquiry The mother of Stephen Lawrence is pressing for the “cowardly” undercover police officer who spied on her family’s campaign for justice to be questioned at a public inquiry. The spycops inquiry has previously ruled that the undercover officer, David Hagan, was too ill to give live evidence, after submissions by his lawyers. Continue reading...

Mother of murdered teenager to challenge ruling that David Hagan is too ill to give live evidence at spycops inquiry

Protester asks whether monarch pressed police to ‘cover up’ for his brother as pressure grows on palace to take further action King Charles was heckled by a protester who asked whether he had “asked the police to cover up” for his scandal-ridden brother, as pressure mounts on the monarchy to take further action against Prince Andrew. During a visit to Litchfield Cathedral today, a man in the crowd asked the king a string of questions, including: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” Continue reading...

Reduction comes from energy generated from windfarms and lower cost of gas owing to lower demand Wind power has cut at least £104bn from energy costs in the UK since 2010, a study has found. Users of gas have been among the biggest beneficiaries, the research suggested. Continue reading...

Research also finds 200 of 231 people notified by MoD of breach reported threats to themselves or families

In last week's byelection in the Welsh constituency of Caerphilly, Reform UK were the hot favourites, and the focus of huge attention. But as John Harris and John Domokos saw close-up, a Reform win failed to happen thanks to a story most of the media didn't see: how online fear and loathing were beaten back by community spirit, facts trumping fury, and everyday empathy

The Ethiopian asylum seeker, jailed for sexual assault and due to be deported, was wrongly freed instead

Exclusive: POA says targeting is ‘unjust’, as chief inspector of prisons blames ‘chaos’ in sector and says mistakes happen ‘all the time’ The prison officers’ union has questioned why a single member of staff at HMP Chelmsford has been “unjustly” targeted after the mistaken release of a refused asylum seeker who had sexually assaulted a teenage girl. Mark Fairhurst, the national chair of the POA, said that the member, a discharging manager, was the only person under suspension when at least two other more senior staff members were involved in freeing Hadush Kebatu. Continue reading...

Robert Ford, subject of an ‘unofficial complaint’, and Bill Barrett, suspended after leaked meeting, removed via email Two suspended Reform UK councillors from Kent have been expelled from the party over a misconduct allegation and after the Guardian published a leaked video which revealed tensions among its county council ranks. Robert Ford and Bill Barrett were removed from the party via an email from Reform HQ on Monday, which said they had “undermined” the interests of the party and brought it into “disrepute”. Continue reading...

The disgraced royal has lived in luxury for decades despite being an outcast and having no obvious means of financial support

The disgraced royal has lived in luxury for decades despite being an outcast and having no obvious means of financial support

The disgraced royal has lived in luxury for decades despite being an outcast and having no obvious means of financial support

Ellie, who now lives in Australia, tells policing inquiry she was deceived by officer infiltrating animal rights groups