News
Boris Johnson announces big changes to Downing Street in wake of Sue Gray report
He addressed the Commons
Boris Johnson has promised to make changes ‘now’ to the way Downing Street and the Cabinet Office is run following the release of Sue Gray’s report into Number 10 parties during lockdown.
Addressing The Commons this afternoon, the Prime Minister said ‘it is time to sort out what Sue Gray rightly calls the fragmented and complicated leadership structures of Downing Street’.
Johnson said he will do this by creating an ‘office of the prime minister’ with a permanent secretary to lead Number 10, adding that it is time to make sure the civil service codes are ‘properly enforced’.
Continuing his statement, Johnson stressed that his government can be trusted, saying: “It is whether this government can be trusted to deliver and I say, Mr. Speaker, yes we can be trusted to deliver.”
The Prime Minister also apologised ‘for the things we simply didn’t get right’ and ‘the way this matter has been handled’.
He said: “Firstly, I want to say sorry – and I’m sorry for the things we simply didn’t get right and also sorry for the way this matter has been handled.”
Read More: Sue Gray’s initial findings into No 10 parties published revealing a ‘failure of leadership’
“But it isn’t enough to say sorry. This is a moment when we must look at ourselves in the mirror and we must learn.
“While the Metropolitan Police must yet complete their investigation, and that means there are no details of specific events in Sue Gray’s report, I of course accept Sue Gray’s general findings in full, and above all her recommendation that we must learn from these events and act now.”
However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer slammed Johnson as a ‘man without shame’ for not resigning over Gray’s initial findings, which concluded ‘serious failures’ of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 throughout the 2020 lockdowns.
Speaking to The Commons, Sir Keir said Johnson and everyone implicated in the scandal are ‘degrading themselves and their offices’ and have frayed the ‘bond of trust between government and the public’.
This comes in the wake of a shortened twelve-page version of Sue Gray’s investigation into the various allegations of parties and gatherings in Number 10 during the lockdowns being released to the public.
In her report, Sue Gray noted that there was a ‘serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government, but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time’.
The report acknowledged that every citizen has been impacted by the pandemic, reading: “Everyone has made personal sacrifices, some the most profound, having been unable to see loved ones in their last moments or care for vulnerable family and friends.”
Stand-out points from the report include:
- There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times.
- The excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time.
- The use of the garden at No 10 Downing Street should be primarily for the Prime Minister and the private residents of No 10 and No 11 Downing Street.
- The leadership structures are fragmented and complicated and this has sometimes led to the blurring of lines of accountability.
- Some staff wanted to raise concerns about behaviours they witnessed at work but at times felt unable to do so.
The report concluded by acknowledging that a number of these gatherings ‘should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did’.
News
Man arrested after mum pushing pram stabbed and killed in broad daylight
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder
Police have arrested a 25-year-old man wanted for the fatal stabbing of a woman while she was pushing her baby in a pram in Bradford.
Police have arrested a suspect, following the murder of Kulsuma Akter, 27. Akter was stabbed several times in the Westgate area of Bradford city centre on Saturday afternoon.
The mother was rushed to hospital, where despite the best efforts of medics, she sadly succumbed to her injuries. Her baby was unharmed in the incident.
It has also emerged that suspect, Habibur Masum, was on bail for assaulting and threatening to kill her at the time of the attack.
Masum was conditionally bailed by Manchester Magistrates’ Court in November, despite prosecutors objecting to his release, it is understood.
Court documents show Masum, whose address was listed as Oldham, Greater Manchester, was charged with assaulting Ms Akter on November 23rd and threatening to kill her on November 24th.
Both incidents are alleged to have happened in Greater Manchester. Police had previously confirmed the couple were known to each other but have not confirmed their relationship.
Masum attended a hearing on November, 27th 2023, where he pleaded not guilty to both offences and was ordered not to contact Ms Akter, it is understood.
His bail conditions also prevented him from contacting a second person, or visiting a particular address.
Greater Manchester Police has said it is supporting West Yorkshire Police with the ongoing murder investigation.
Both forces have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog over previous contact with Masum and Ms Akter.
Detective Superintendent Jude Holmes, from GMP Oldham district, said: “We share the shock and concern that our communities feel in the wake of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with Kulsuma Akter’s family at this truly distressing time.
“Habibur Masum is wanted by West Yorkshire Police on suspicion of murder. Due to his links to Greater Manchester, we have our specialist officers following several lines of enquiry to locate him.
“I urge members of the public to remain vigilant, and if you have any information on his whereabouts, call 999 as a matter of urgency.
“Due to previous police contact with Habibur Masum and Kulsuma Akter, Greater Manchester Police has made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”
Police have arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of murder. A 23-year-old man was also arrested in Cheshire on suspicion of assisting an offender.
News
Hunt for murder suspect after mum pushing pram killed in broad daylight
It is not clear whether is Masum is armed as police warn not to approach him
Police are searching for a man from Oldham after a mum was stabbed to death in Bradford while pushing her baby in a pram.
Habibur Masum, 25, is wanted over the attack which took place in the Westgate area of Bradford at 3.21pm on Saturday (April 6th).
The victim, a 27-year-old woman, suffered multiple stab wounds and was taken to hospital where she sadly died of her injuries, West Yorkshire Police said.
The force also confirmed the baby was not harmed in the attack as the public is warned not to approach Masum.
It is understood Masum was known to the victim although police have not confirmed their relationship at this time. A knife was found at the scene but it is unclear if he is armed.
Masum was pictured on CCTV wearing a grey hooded, zip-up coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black on it, grey tracksuit bottoms with a black logo and burgundy trainers.
A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up shortly after the incident on Westgate, at the junction with Drewton Road.
Masum is from Oldham and is believed to have links to Burnley and Chester. He is described as an Asian man, of slim build.
Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson said: “We have had significant resources following up a number of lines of inquiry to locate Habibur Masum but at this time his whereabouts are unknown.
“I would urge anyone who does see him not to approach him but to call 999 immediately.”
She said the death of such a young woman in the ‘most awful circumstances’ will ‘understandably cause concern in the local community’.
Detective Chief Inspector Atkinson Added: “I would like to reassure the wider public that we are working tirelessly to investigate this horrendous crime and bring the person responsible to justice.
“To help us with this we are urging anyone who was in the area who may have dashcam footage or seen or heard something, however small it may seem, to please come forward.
“A scene remains in place which includes some road closures and I thank the public for their patience while we conduct our enquiries.”
News
Man arrested in murder investigation after human torso found in Salford nature reserve
A man in his 20s is being questioned by police
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a human torso was found wrapped in plastic in a nature reserve in Salford.
As detectives continue to investigate the discovery of human remains found by a passerby on Thursday, April 4th, a man in his 20s from Salford was taken into custody on Saturday evening for questioning, Greater Manchester Police say.
DNA testing is being carried out to determine the identity of the victim, who is believed to be a male ‘likely to be aged older than 40’ and ‘has only been deceased for a matter of days’, officers say.
GMP says it is conducting a thorough search of the area by utilising local officers and specialist branches including search dogs and assistance from underwater search teams, to help comb the site.
The force says although it has ‘not found anything else that is of interest to the investigation’, ‘work will not stop’ until it is certain the area has been thoroughly searched.
Chief Superintendent Tony Creely, of GMP’s Salford district, said: “The arrest we made yesterday evening is an important step for our investigation, but we must keep an open mind and a big part of this is speaking to anyone who may have crucial information.
“As we continue to work in the area, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their concern and cooperation so far, and we are mindful this is a disturbing incident for the local community, but I can assure you that since we were made aware, we’ve been pursuing every single line of enquiry to help us find out what has happened.
“I cannot stress the importance of people contacting us with information if they know anything at all. You may have information that you don’t feel is of importance, but it could be to us, please pass it on, it could be the key piece of information we need to progress this investigation.”
Anyone who thinks they may have witnessed something suspicious in the Kersal Dale area over the last few days is urged to call GMP on 101 and quoting log number 2695 of April, 4th 2024.
A dedicated portal for anyone to submit images or video footage which could help police can be found HERE.
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