Nama trial: Three cleared over charges linked to misconduct in public office
The case centred on a meeting of a Stormont committee 10 years ago, related to the National Asset Management Agency, known as Nama.Mr Bryson gave evidence at the meeting, which was chaired by Mr McKay, a Sinn Féin member of the Assembly at the time.
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The Guardian
34 minutes ago
- The Guardian
UK government ‘closely watching' £120m legal claim against Vodafone
Ministers are closely watching a court case in which Vodafone is alleged to have 'unjustly enriched' itself at the expense of franchise operators, and have raised the prospect of a regulatory crackdown on the sector. The small business minister, Gareth Thomas, has said he will 'track very carefully' a £120m legal claim brought against Vodafone last year by a group of 62 of about 150 franchise operators. They allege that drastic cuts to commission rates on selling Vodafone products in the group's high street stores caused many of them to run up huge personal debts. They say they fear for their livelihoods or homes, and some have reported suicidal thoughts. Their court filing claims the company 'indiscriminately … operated to enrich Vodafone at the expense of its franchisees'. Thomas told MPs on Wednesday: 'There are without question some very serious allegations being levelled at Vodafone in this case. 'Until now there has not been sustained concern about the quality or effectiveness of the self-regulation of franchises in general. However, I recognise that this particular case has raised concerns across the House and I will track very carefully what happens in this case and the final outcome and conclusions that any court case might come to.' Thomas was speaking in parliament during an adjournment debate secured by the the former Conservative minister John Hayes. He told MPs: 'Franchising can be used as a method to exaggerate the power of the business at the heart of the franchise and to weaken the position of franchisees. My assertion is that is common and is particular in the case of Vodafone.' Luke Akehurst, the Labour MP for North Durham, said: 'There are major corporates that treat their franchisees very badly, that sign them up on one set of terms – one rate card – and then change the goalposts. 'And then when people dissent and complain about that, they find that their franchise is withdrawn and they lose their investment when they have put a great deal into that corporate giant. I think this is a matter that, in the near future, is going to require some ministerial attention.' Talks to settle the franchisees' legal claim against Vodafone ended without resolution in May, leaving the case potentially heading for the high court. Vodafone was approached for comment. It has previously said: 'This is a complex commercial dispute between Vodafone UK and some franchise partners and as we have said from the beginning, we refute the claims.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The company has also apologised 'unreservedly to anyone whose experiences while operating their business has impacted [their health] in this way' , adding: 'Where issues have been raised, we have sought to rectify these and we believe we have treated our franchisees fairly.' Vodafone has just completed a deal to merge its UK operation with rival Three to create Britain's biggest mobile phone operator. Vodafone's chief executive, Margherita Della Valle, said in May that the merger would involve job cuts where the two businesses had a duplication of functions and roles, although overall it would create jobs as it embarked on an €11bn (£9.5bn) upgrade and expansion of its 5G network over the next decade.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Housing minister vows to crack down on property management ‘wild west'
The housing minister has promised to crack down on unfair service charges and what he called the 'wild west' of property managing agents as he launched the next stage of the government's reforms of the leasehold system. Matthew Pennycook told the Guardian he wanted to stop a number of unfair practices undertaken by some companies, including overcharging and imposing large, unexpected repair fees. He was speaking as the government launched a consultation into measures such as making property managers provide more transparent information on their fees and forcing them to qualify as professional practitioners for the first time. The consultation is the latest step towards what the government promises will be an eventual end to the 'feudal' leasehold system, which applies to 5m homes in England. Pennycook said: 'Managing agents play a key role in multiple-occupancy buildings, and will play an even bigger role in the future, but it is a bit of a wild west at the minute.' Speaking about the new qualification system, he said: 'It is very easy to set yourself up as a managing agent. A group of us could do it just by renting an office on top of a newsagent in the high street … we know there are really bad practices out there.' Talking about the changes to service charges, he added: 'We are setting out plans to protect millions of leaseholders across the country from opaque and unfair service charges and other fees which they incur. 'Leaseholders are suffering and they need urgent relief – that's why we are doing what we are.' Pennycook has been pushing through a series of changes to the leasehold system in the last year, including implementing parts of the 2024 Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act which was passed by the Conservatives shortly before the general election. Some campaigners have been frustrated with the pace of change, accusing the government of dragging its feet on many of the promised reforms. The government's consultation, which will last 12 weeks, will ask for views on how to impose two major changes: more transparent fees and an end to what many see as unfair legal costs. Under the current system in England and Wales, freeholders and managers do not have to explain why they have charged the fees they have, and many resist doing so even when asked directly by residents. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion MPs say they have received complaints from their constituents of surprise one-off fees, above-inflation rises in service charges and even bills for repairs which are never carried out. One MP said they had been told of one case where a leaseholder had been charged for repairs to a lift in a building that did not have one. When residents do challenge their property freeholders or service companies in court, they sometimes find themselves saddled with having to pay their opponents' legal costs, even if they have won. The government's consultation will also seek a way to end that practice – though Pennycook admitted there could be a small number of cases where tenants still have to pay back unpaid fees. Ministers will also consult on a new regime for carrying out major repairs, which can currently happen at little notice and at great expense. Pennycook promised a draft leasehold bill, which will include provisions to end the system on new-build flats and to make it easier to convert old properties into other forms of ownership, would be published by the end of the year. 'It will be an ambitious piece of legislation, but there are many moving parts,' he said.
The Guardian
38 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Greater Manchester police investigating over 1,000 grooming gang suspects
Greater Manchester police are investigating more than 1,000 grooming gang suspects, as a new report found the force was 'trying to provide a better service to those who have experienced sexual exploitation'. The force has made 'significant improvements' in how it investigates grooming gangs and other types of child sexual abuse offences, according to the report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services. The report looks at the way grooming gangs and other child sexual offences are handled by the police, health bodies and the 10 councils across Greater Manchester. It said police had live investigations into 'multi-victim, multi-offender' child sexual exploitation cases involving 714 victims and survivors and 1,099 suspects. 'We found that since 2019, when Greater Manchester police started to review its non-recent child sexual exploitation investigations, the force has improved its understanding and approach to investigating allegations of child criminal and sexual exploitation,' the inspector of constabulary for the northern region, Michelle Skeer, said. 'It is clear that the force has, for many years, been trying to provide a better service to those who have or may have experienced sexual exploitation. 'But for some, trust and confidence in the police had been lost, and the force would not be able to rectify their experiences. 'It is vital that improvements are led by victims' experiences, and if they do come forward, they are supported, protected and taken seriously.' At a press conference, GMP's chief constable, Sir Stephen Watson, said those who had failed victims in the past 'should face justice like anyone else'. He continued: 'To those who are responsible for these repugnant crimes – as is now very apparent – we will pursue you relentlessly.' The chief constable said the role ethnicity played in grooming gang offending was a 'legitimate question' and may be explored in a future national inquiry. A recent report by Louise Casey found that Asian men were significantly over-represented as suspects in grooming gangs in Greater Manchester, saying authorities were in 'denial', and that more needed to be done to understand why this was the case. GMP is the only force in the country to set up a dedicated team to investigate grooming gangs, which it did in 2021, now called the child sexual exploitation major investigation team (CSE MIT), with about 100 staff and a ringfenced budget. The force approaches child sexual exploitation as it does serious and organised crime gangs, using specialist tactics. The report identified improvements that could be made in order to better address the issue and progress investigations. These included data sharing, with local councils sometimes not willing to provide detectives with information, leading to 'significant delays in investigations'. The report said intelligence provided by Manchester city council took months to arrive and 'was so heavily redacted that some pages contained only a few words'. So far the CSE MIT and the earlier grooming gang investigations have resulted in 42 convictions, with offenders imprisoned for a total of more than 430 years. Other investigations are ongoing, with several more trials scheduled. In a statement, Greater Manchester's mayor, Andy Burnham, said: 'I am confident in my view that the Greater Manchester system is in a demonstrably different and far stronger place today than it was when the failings happened.' He added: 'The effect of the assurance review I commissioned has been to usher in widespread culture change across all GM bodies. Never again will any child here be labelled or dismissed when they come forward to report concerns. 'Now the national inquiry is being put in place, we must allow victims the space and the right climate to have their voices heard, allow the actual truth to be established and accountability delivered.'
