“Rank-and-file police have accused the government of “misleading” the public about achieving its manifesto pledge of hiring 20,000 new police officers. The Home Office published figures yesterday showing that 20,951 extra recruits joined police forces in the past three years, taking the number of officers employed in England and Wales to a record 149,572. This is 3,542 more than the previous peak in 2010. The coalition government’s austerity agenda then led to police numbers falling. Research by Full Fact, a charity, said the recruitment drive over the past three years had largely filled the hole left by the loss of about 22,000 full-time equivalent police officers between 2010 and 2017. All but one of the 43 forces in England and Wales met its recruitment target, with the scandal-hit Metropolitan Police the exception after missing its target by more than 1,000. “ – The Times
“Thousands of British citizens in Sudan have been warned that evacuation flights cannot last for ever amid fears that the conflict will reignite when a US-brokered ceasefire ends at midnight on Thursday. The RAF is aiming to evacuate 500 British citizens a day from an airfield north of Khartoum despite the looming threat of violent clashes when the 72-hour break in hostilities expires. British officials are scrambling to provide alternative routes out of the country and The Times understands that a reception centre is likely to be established on the border with Egypt. HMS Lancaster is heading towards Port Sudan, a relatively stable city on the Red Sea.” – The Times
“The government’s Illegal Migration Bill cleared its final hurdle in the House of Commons last night but Suella Braverman risked controversy after saying that Channel migrants have values that are “at odds” with British people. The home secretary said migrants arriving in small boats were linked to “heightened levels of criminality” such as prostitution and drug dealing. She said that her comments were not based on statistical evidence but were instead based on conversations with police chiefs, who have reported that drug gangs they deal with are people who come on small boats. “It is a notable feature of crime fighting on the streets of England and Wales,” she told reporters after delivering a speech on policing in central London. “We cannot ignore the fact that many people are coming here illegally and they’re getting quickly involved in the drugs trade, other exploitation, criminality and prostitution.” – The Times
“Gambling companies are exploiting addicts and disproportionately hitting poorer communities, the culture secretary said as she announced curbs on the industry to tackle addiction. On Thursday the government will publish its long-awaited gambling white paper which includes plans for a levy on gambling companies; maximum stakes for online slot machines; and affordability checks to stop problem gamblers. Writing in The Times, Lucy Frazer, the culture secretary, says that gambling apps on mobile phones have for some become “a trapdoor to despair and isolation”. The losses to the families of addicts who have killed themselves are “unimaginable”. – The Times
“Andrew Bridgen has been expelled from the Conservative Party after comparing coronavirus vaccines to the Holocaust. Bridgen had the Conservative whip withdrawn in January after claiming a cardiologist had told him that the vaccine rollout was the “biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust”. Now he has had his party membership revoked too. Since his suspension Bridgen, 58, has campaigned furiously on the issue, repeatedly questioning the safety of mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Moderna versions. A spokesman said: “Mr Bridgen was expelled from the Conservative Party on April 12 following the recommendation of a disciplinary panel. He has 28 days from this date to appeal.” Bridgen, who has been the MP for North West Leicestershire since 2010, pledged to stand again at the next election regardless.” – The Times
“Officials from the Department of Health have “raised concerns” about Steve Barclay’s alleged conduct towards civil servants, the Guardian has been told. Sources said the civil servants had informally complained to Chris Wormald, the department’s permanent secretary, about the way they believe they and colleagues have been treated by the health secretary. They said senior civil servants in the department had privately referred to “bullying” and other “bad behaviour” by Barclay towards his staff since he joined the Whitehall department in July last year. The alleged conduct is denied by Barclay’s allies.” – The Guardian
“Senior Conservative MPs have labelled the expected attendance of China’s vice-president at King Charles’s coronation as “outrageous”. Han Zheng, who was recently appointed as president Xi Jinping’s deputy, is expected to represent China at the May event, Politico reported. Former Tory leader and longstanding China critic Sir Iain Duncan Smith described him as “responsible for trashing” China’s Hong Kong treaty with Britain by overseeing a crackdown on the territory’s freedoms. Tim Loughton, a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said his presence would be “an insult to the freedom-loving people” of Hong Kong.” – The Guardian
“Jess Phillips is under investigation by a parliamentary watchdog into her declaration of interests. The Standards Commissioner opened a probe on Monday over an alleged breach of the MPs’ Code of Conduct. Under the code, MPs must be “open and frank in drawing attention to any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its Committees, and in any communications with Ministers, Members, public officials or public office holders”. Ms Phillip was last year reprimanded after an investigation by the watchdog found she had failed to register a number of outside earnings within the 28-day deadline set by the Commons. These included a payment for a guest appearance on the BBC show Have I Got News For You.” – Daily Express
“Rishi Sunak has rejected a demand to apologise and pay reparations for Britain’s role in the slave trade, saying it would be wrong to “unpick our history”. The prime minister said it was more important to ensure that the UK was an “inclusive and tolerant” country than to focus on the past. He was asked at prime minister’s questions by Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the Labour MP for Streatham, to “offer a full and meaningful apology for our country’s role in slavery and colonialism, and commit to reparatory justice”. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, also rejected Ribeiro-Addy’s approach.” – The Times
“Only 4.5 per cent of people without the right voter ID have registered for alternative documents as it was revealed that Conservatives had incorrectly told voters they did not need to prove who they were to take part in next month’s local elections. For the first time photo ID will be compulsory to take part in elections held for councils across England in May. But Tories in Norwich, Norfolk, told voters they did not need to prove who they were to have their say at the ballot box, risking them being turned away. On a leaflet delivered in parts of the city considered Labour strongholds, voters were told: “You don’t need to take any ID in order to vote, as long as you are registered.” – The Times
“At least he will always have Brexit. Even after reading the jaw-dropping extracts published in The Times from Johnson at 10: The Inside Story by Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell, with the prime minister briefing against his girlfriend, not reading his papers and behaving repeatedly like a complete muppet, I can’t shake that one positive thought. If you hated Britain leaving the European Union and continue to regard it as a historic error, you’ll want to tell me that the leading role played by Boris Johnson means he deserves an especially fiery spot in Hell. But for those of us who wanted to leave the EU, and who are glad Britain did so in spite of the ongoing difficulties, it is different.” – The Times