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Senedd called to act on 'existential crisis' of abuse

Senedd called to act on 'existential crisis' of abuse

Plaid Cymru's Adam Price, the first out-gay man in his party to be elected to national office, warned prejudices based on sex, race and sexual orientation have been reinvigorated.
He told the Senedd: "It is getting worse by the day, and it really represents an existential crisis for our democracy and our society."
Mr Price said: "For our democracy to be effective, it has to be diverse.
"Diversity trumps ability.
"It's a piece of evidence in social science."
The former Plaid Cymru leader called for a focus on representation of trans women and men, a community "under siege," to ensure their voices are heard in the Senedd.
Mr Price highlighted harmful comments below news stories involving him in recent weeks.
"That certainly won't deter me and I hope it won't deter anyone else," he said.
"But we've got to do something about it collectively, haven't we?"
Labour's Hannah Blythyn expressed concerns that Wales could go backwards in terms of equality of representation at the next Senedd election.
Ms Blythyn told Senedd members: "I very much made an active decision when I had the opportunity to stand in this legislature because of the make-up – that there were more women here, that it was more representative."
Jane Hutt, Wales' social justice secretary, acknowledged the rise of abuse, harassment and intimidation towards politicians, candidates and campaigners.
She outlined voluntary diversity and inclusion guidance for political parties which aims to ensure democratic bodies are truly representative of all the people of Wales.
Ms Hutt said safety costs will be exempt from spending limits for Welsh elections.
Conservative Altaf Hussain warned guidance on equal representation risks crossing a dangerous line.
He said: "Equality of access cannot come just by bureaucratic diktats or targets."
Plaid Cymru's Sioned Williams said progress on underrepresentation of women in politics has slowed, warning the voluntary guidance was published "far too late."
"Wales belongs to everyone," she said.
"Everyone must have a voice in our nation's future."
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Tory councillor's wife jailed for Southport riots tweet is set to be freed within weeks, close friend says
Tory councillor's wife jailed for Southport riots tweet is set to be freed within weeks, close friend says

Daily Mail​

time2 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Tory councillor's wife jailed for Southport riots tweet is set to be freed within weeks, close friend says

The wife of a Conservative councillor who was sentenced to two years in jail over a 'racist' tweet will be freed next month, a close friend has said. Lucy Connolly was imprisoned at HMP Drake Hall, Staffordshire after she pleaded guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred following last summer's Southport riots. But now a friend of the mother and former childminder has shared a post to X saying Connolly will be 'with a glass of Whispering Angel in-hand' this time next month. The pal, who describes herself as a '"conspiracy" blonde', said: 'Missed a call whilst working today and not spoke to her for 2 weeks now... *HOWEVER* Happy to say that this time next month Lucy will be with a glass of Whispering Angel in-hand - And more importantly her family AT HOME.' She concluded the post with, 'What a year it's been...' Connolly was given a 31-month sentence in October after admitting to making her 'racist' post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The post, which she later deleted, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... if that makes me racist so be it.' News of Connolly's scheduled release comes just two months after she lost an appeal to shorten her 31-month sentence. The post, which she later deleted, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... if that makes me racist so be it' Connolly had told the Court of Appeal in London she 'never' intended to incite violence and did not realise pleading guilty would mean she accepted she had. But her argument was rejected. A number of public figures and politicians have spoken out since Connolly was handed her sentence claiming she is a victim of 'two-tier justice'. Connolly's husband, Raymond, a former West Northamptonshire Conservative councillor, said on the day she lost her appeal: 'Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she will release 40,000 prisoners, some of them dangerous men on tag. 'Lucy has not been allowed out on tag and she has been denied leave to see our child who is struggling. 'Today, the court had the opportunity to reduce her cruelly long and disproportionate sentence, but they refused. That feels like two-tier justice. 'The British people know all this is not right. They have given an amazing £81,000 so far to Lucy's crowd-funder. Despite today's upsetting setback, Lucy gets courage from everyone's kind support.' Mr Connolly had been a Tory West Northamptonshire district councillor but lost his seat in May. He remains on the town council. Lucy Connolly, of Northampton, was arrested on August 6, by which point she had deleted her social media account. But other messages which included other condemning remarks were uncovered by officers who seized her phone. Her X post was made just hours after killer Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls and attempted to murder 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, sparking nationwide unrest. The former childminder was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court in October after pleading guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred. The Southport atrocity sparked nationwide unrest, with several people - including Connolly - jailed as a result. Her tweet was viewed 310,000 times in three-and-a-half hours before she deleted it. She later pleaded guilty to distributing material with the intention of stirring up racial hatred at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced to 31 months in prison in October. But she told the Court of Appeal in May that she had no idea the full extent of what she was admitting, and that her solicitor Liam Muir had not properly explained what 'inciting violence' meant in the context of her tweet. It was only when the judge was speaking at her sentencing hearing that it fully dawned on her, she said when applying to have her prison term reduced. The case sparked international interest with the White House saying in May it was 'monitoring' Connolly's case. It came as US officials said they had 'concerns' about free speech in Britain. The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.

Rayner paying thousands more of taxpayers' money to trade union reps
Rayner paying thousands more of taxpayers' money to trade union reps

Telegraph

time32 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Rayner paying thousands more of taxpayers' money to trade union reps

The taxpayer-funded cost of trade union activities in Angela Rayner's department has increased by tens of thousands of pounds in a single year. Documents published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) show that the cost of paying trade union reps rose by 57 per cent in the last financial year. Public and private sector employers are required to pay employees who moonlight as shop stewards 'facility time' – effectively additional paid time off – to complete their union duties. Ms Rayner, who has significantly expanded the power of the unions in private industry with her employment rights reforms, is also paying far more for the reps. The latest annual report for MHCLG shows the department paid £225,803 in facility time in the 2024-5 financial year, up from £143,527 under the Conservatives the previous year. Union reps have been entitled to paid time off to carry out their duties in Britain since 1975 under the Wilson government. Ms Rayner has increased the facility time that both public and private sector employers must pay in her employment rights bill, so the cost of the payments are set to rise again next year when it passes into law. The legislation will also force employers to pay the extra wages for 'equality representatives' in the workplace for the first time. James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, said: 'This boom in trade union time off on Angela Rayner's watch is a shocking waste of taxpayers' money. 'Yet again prioritising trade union trots over taxpayers shows [Ms] Rayner is still in hock to her union pals. 'Whether it's this, the employment bill or no-strings-attached payouts, Labour must stop putting the interests of unions who bankroll the party ahead of the national interest.' Research by the Taxpayers' Alliance last year found there were 23,592 public sector workers moonlighting as trade union reps in 2023 – the second highest number on record. The total cost of the payments to the taxpayer was almost £100m. An MHCLG spokesman explained the extra cost of facility time in Ms Rayner's department by arguing that salaries for civil servants had increased in line with inflation. But the increase of 57 per cent cannot be explained by inflation alone. Other departments, including the Foreign Office, have seen almost no change in their bill for facility time in the last year. Ms Rayner, a former union rep on Stockport council, has long had close ties to Unison, where she also once worked as an official. However, the Left-wing Unite the Union voted to suspend her earlier this month, over her reluctance to support striking bin workers in Birmingham. Sources close to Ms Rayner said she had already cancelled her membership, and that she believed the workers should accept a pay offer by Birmingham city council. A spokesman for the MHCLG said: 'These figures represent less than 0.1 per cent of our total pay bill and have increased for reasons including annual salary uplifts for staff in line with civil service pay guidance. 'Trade union representatives have a legal right to be given time off to undertake their duties, and they bring benefits to workplaces and the economy. We continue to support staff to do this as part of our commitment to supporting workers' rights.'

‘The UK needs a new voting system first': Readers react to Corbyn's new left-wing party
‘The UK needs a new voting system first': Readers react to Corbyn's new left-wing party

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

‘The UK needs a new voting system first': Readers react to Corbyn's new left-wing party

Public reaction to Jeremy Corbyn's new left-wing party has been mixed, with many Independent readers more concerned about the UK's electoral system than the party itself. While some welcomed the alternative to what they see as a 'Tory-lite' Labour government, most agreed that the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system makes it almost impossible for smaller parties to succeed – and risks splitting the left vote. 'Until the electoral system is changed to proportional representation (PR), the dog's breakfast that is British politics will continue,' wrote one commenter. Others feared the move could hand power to a Tory-Reform coalition, with one reader warning: 'If you think Johnson and Truss were bad, wait until you see what Farage and Jenrick manage to destroy.' Although Corbyn remains popular among younger voters, many readers questioned the strategy behind launching a new party now. 'This is a disaster waiting to happen,' one said. 'The left is already fragmented and needs unity, not further splits.' Some saw the move as a protest rather than a serious political project, while others argued it could force Labour to shift left or adopt PR. Here's what you had to say: No real left in the UK I certainly don't like the Conservatives, and I dislike Reform UK even more. The problem with the current Labour government is that they are Tory lite. I cannot see Corbyn ever being PM. Starmer is sadly too authoritarian – hence the jailing of peaceful protesters. Personally speaking, I would like to see a combination of the Lib Dems and Greens in power, but there is almost zero chance of that happening. The Lib Dems are much more to the left than Labour. Christopher1959 Do you think the UK's voting system needs to change? Let us know in the below. Until the system changes, expect a mess Although it is excellent to have more choices for the electorate to choose from, unfortunately, because of the first past the post electoral system (FPTP), this only "waters down" the anti-Tory/Reform vote, because those right-wing parties and their "supporters" will stick together. Don't forget the Lib Dems, who command a fair old share of the electorate – but not enough for a majority. That could result in permanent right-wing governance! Until the electoral system is changed to proportional representation (PR), the dog's breakfast that is Brit politics will continue, with either "one or t'other", or, as I said, because of the watering down of the centre and left-wing vote, a permanent Tory/Reform bunch in power! Blue3Lee It's a step, but PR must come first A step in the right direction – offering a wider choice to the electorate, many of whom feel they have a Hobson's choice at the moment. But it won't work as an alternative under FPTP. To succeed, a genuine form of PR would have to come first – freeing voters to vote for their real preference rather than simply to prevent an alternative. Corbyn won't be around for too much longer and would, I think, willingly step back once a more genuine left-of-centre Labour-type alternative is available. Strangely Enough Finally, some choice outside the centre I think the public now having a slightly right-wing party in Reform and a slightly left-wing party with Corbyn to vote for is a positive thing, given the centrist WEF Lab/Con Blairites we've had since 1997. GaryGlass New parties need deep pockets to survive I have two principal thoughts on this: First, this isn't the first time that a "splinter" party has been formed in the UK. Regrettably, almost none have survived contact with FPTP for long, other than the Green Party and niche outfits like George Galloway's "Respect" party. Second, to have any chance of electoral survival, let alone making a difference, this putative political party must have serious (pots of money) backing. If this party subsequently shows sufficient support, I suspect that the chances of any form of proportional electoral system being brought in will recede even further, because of the increasing electoral threat to the current government. Nobrandloyalty Corbyn's party won't win, but could push Labour Whilst this new party will definitely not win the election and will probably get few MPs, the threat of a split in the left vote – letting in Reform on an even lower percentage than Labour got last year – will hopefully motivate Labour to change some policies. Possibly even encourage them to manifesto-promise PR/electoral reform to tempt people back into tactical voting for them in 2029 – so they can have better chances for the JC party in 2034. Someone182 A split left could hand power to Farage I remember how the SDP were going to "change politics in the UK forever". They did – the Tories lurched even further to the right and kept winning elections. I do not like Starmer, however, splitting the Labour vote is going to give us a Tory/Reform coalition. If you think Johnson and Truss were bad, wait until you see what Jenrick/Farage manage to destroy. Moonraker2025 New parties are pointless without PR The UK needs a new voting system before it needs more parties. These small new party initiatives don't work out within the current system. Corbyn's lifelong main political goal is to run a protest movement – and that's what this will be. – ItReallyIsNot FPTP stops Corbyn from being a threat If it wasn't for our FPTP electoral system, Corbyn would be a serious threat, I believe. Polheg Reform will benefit most from Corbyn's move Corbyn's new party will take votes from Labour but is unlikely to win more than a handful of seats. The prime beneficiaries will be Reform. It was a serious mistake for Labour to expel Corbyn, since it was always obvious that he commanded a lot of support from the left and would be in a position to retaliate. Musil A fragmented left is a disaster in waiting Corbyn to the rescue – just when we need some kind of ruthless pragmatic unity in the face of 'Euphemism' – and in waltzes Corbyn and a further split of 5 to 10 per cent at most. It seems that more than ever, a further counterproductive split among an already fragmented centre/left, in the face of a determined, well-organised, highly coordinated and highly effective far right, is an absolute disaster waiting to happen. I genuinely cannot see a way out of this. Jim987 Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.

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