Markus Andrews

A second Malaysian man due to be hanged in Singapore this week for drug trafficking won a last-minute reprieve Thursday from the top court.Datchinamurthy Kataiah, 36, was scheduled to be hanged Friday, just two days after the execution of a Malaysian man that sparked an international outcry because he was believed to be mentally disabled.Lawyer M. Ravi, who earlier represented Datchinamurty, said the Court of Appeal allowed a stay of execution pending a legal challenge on May 20.Datchchinamurthy is part of a civil case involving 13 death row prisoners who are challenging the prison department’s forwarding of copies of their prison correspondence to the attorney general’s office without their consent, anti-death penalty activist Kirsten Han said.Ravi and Han said Datchinamurthy represented himself in court Thursday because no lawyer wanted to take the case, fearing reprisals from the government. Lawyers who take on late-stage death row cases are often accused of abusing court processes if they lose and may have to pay hefty costs demanded by the attorney general’s office, they said.Datchinamurthy was arrested in 2011 and convicted of trafficking about 45 grams (1.6 ounces) of heroin into Singapore. Fellow Malaysian Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam was also on death row for over a decade before he was hanged on Wednesday. Singapore’s government says its use of the death penalty for drug crimes is made clear when people enter the country.Nagaenthran’s supporters and lawyers said he had an IQ of 69 and was intellectually disabled, and that the execution of a mentally ill person is prohibited under international human rights law.His case drew pleas from the European Union and global figures including British business magnate Richard Branson to commute his sentence, but Singapore courts ruled he understood his actions at the time of his crime.Singapore had halted executions for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming them with the execution of a drug trafficker in March, followed by Nagaenthran. “Singapore’s international reputation has already deteriorated significantly with the execution of Nagaenthran,” said the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network. It urged Singapore to impose another moratorium on executions and abolish the death penalty. It said another Malaysian and two Singaporeans also face the threat of imminent execution. The group said all of the men came from vulnerable families and each played relatively minor roles in the drug trade. “There is no evidence that their deaths will have any effect on the illicit drug trade in Singapore or globally. There is no proof that the death penalty has been an effective deterrent to drug-related offenses,” the group said in a statement. More

British lawmakers headed back to their constituencies across the country Thursday at the end of a parliamentary year overshadowed by scandal. They left a Parliament where one lawmaker stands accused of watching porn in the House of Commons, another has been found guilty of bullying, and Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in peril for breaching the lockdown rules he imposed on the nation during the coronavirus pandemic.Parliament was formally suspended, or prorogued, on Thursday in a tradition-steeped ceremony involving ermine-draped members of the House of Lords and an official proclaiming “the queen wills it” in Norman French. A new session will begin May 10 with a pomp-filled State Opening of Parliament and a new slate of legislation from the Conservative government. Johnson hopes the new term will mark a fresh start after months of turmoil in which he became the first prime minister to be sanctioned for breaking the law in office. He was fined 50 pounds ($62) by police for attending his own surprise birthday party in June 2020 when lockdown rules barred social gatherings.Johnson has apologized, but denies knowingly breaking the rules. He faces the possibility of more fines over other parties — police are investigating a dozen gatherings — and a parliamentary investigation into whether he misled lawmakers about his behavior.He also faces discontent within his own party, which could grow after local elections across the country on May 5. The Conservatives fear a backlash from voters amid soaring food and energy prices driven by the war in Ukraine, Brexit and the disruption from the coronavirus pandemic. A bad result for the governing party could lead Conservatives to try to replace Johnson with a less tarnished leader.The “partygate” scandal has shaken the prime minister’s grip on power, but troubles for Britain’s politicians extend beyond Johnson. Thursday’s headlines were brimming with misconduct allegations, including a Conservative lawmaker accused by female colleagues of watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber. Parliamentary officials are investigating the claim. The lawmaker has not been named.Home Office Minister Rachel Maclean said the alleged behavior was “deeply sickening and disgusting.”“Action needs to be taken and I very much hope … we will see him out of Parliament, out of the party,” she said.Earlier this week, female lawmakers reacted with outrage after a newspaper quoted an unnamed Conservative legislator who accused Labour Party Deputy Leader Angela Rayner of trying to “distract” the prime minister during debates by crossing and uncrossing her legs.The prime minister condemned the comments as “sexist, misogynist tripe.”Also Thursday, opposition Labour Party lawmaker Liam Byrne was handed a two-day suspension from the House of Commons for bullying a member of his staff.The constant drip of allegations has taken a toll on politicians’ morale, and on their already tarnished public image. Long known for its boozy, macho atmosphere, Parliament is now a more diverse place, but lawmakers and staff still say bullying, harassment and inappropriate behavior are rife under a system that largely allows legislators to regulate themselves.Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said there was a problem with “the overall culture of the House of Commons.”“It is late sitting, long nights with bars, and that very often leads, and it has done for decades, to behavioral challenges,” he told Sky News.Johnson’s critics say problems are worsening under a prime minister who has faced a series of scandals over his finances and judgment. The scandals are an unwelcome distraction for a government that wants to focus on easing the cost-of-living crisis and revamping Britain’s economy in the wake of the country’s departure from the European Union.But some bills announced when the last session of Parliament began in May 2021 have been delayed or abandoned. Others — including new powers for police to curtail noisy protests and a requirement to show photo ID before voting — faced stiff opposition but were pushed through Parliament after bruising debates because of the Conservatives’ large majority.As Parliament shut down on Thursday, House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle sent lawmakers on their way with thanks for the session just ending.“Let’s hope it’s a little calmer in the next one,” he said. More

Keir Starmer says the Conservatives must take immediate action against the MP who watched porn in the Commons, instead of leaving it an independent investigation.The Tories have referred the controversy to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (IGS) – promising “appropriate action” if the allegation is proved.But the Labour leader said there is no need for the party to await the inquiry’s conclusions, because the MPs’ identity is known to its whips’ office.“This is an unusual case because the Tory Party knows who this individual is,” he said, on the local elections campaign trail in Cumbria.“I think that they should deal with it and deal with it sooner rather than later and take appropriate action.“So, nothing wrong with the independent process, but I think the Tory Party, they know who this is, they should take action now.”The criticism came as Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said he did not know which MP is being accused and referred inquiries to the Conservative Party.Although an ICGS inquiry requires a complaint to be made by someone who witnessed an alleged incident, this is not believed to be an obstacle to it taking place.Allegations of sexism and misogyny have engulfed the Tories, after a male Conservative MP was accused by two female colleagues of openly watching pornography on his phone.One of the MPs, a minister, said the incident took place in the chamber last week and separately during a committee hearing, telling colleagues the man was aware he had been seen, yet continued watching.A second female Tory MP said she had also seen the man watching pornography. She is believed to have she had attempted to film him as proof of what he was doing.Government sources have suggested the man in question is a backbencher – not a minister – implying his identity is known.The prime minister said on Wednesday that he considered sexual harassment “intolerable” and agreed that it should be “grounds for dismissal”.However, a spokesperson for the chief whip said, late on Wednesday: “Following allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the House of Commons the chief whip has asked that this matter be referred to the ICGS.“Upon the conclusion of any ICGS investigation the chief whip will take appropriate action.”The party has acknowledged that “only that people who have witnessed the situation” can make a complaint to the body – which means the party cannot.The meeting at which the allegation emerged was attended by some of the most senior women in the Conservative Party, including Theresa May, and some current ministers.The Independent has been told that the “united view of the meeting is that this MPs should be suspended by the party”. More

MP accused of watching porn in Commons could face recall petition, says ministerKeir Starmer has called on the Conservatives to take immediate action against the MP accused of watching pornography in the Commons, instead of leaving it to an independent investigation.The Tories have referred the controversy to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (IGS) – the watchdog set up in the wake of the Me Too movement – promising “appropriate action” if the allegation is proved true.But the Labour leader said there is no need for the party to await the inquiry’s conclusions “because [it] knows who this individual is,” Sir Keir said while on the local elections campaign trail in Cumbria. “I think that they should deal with it and deal with it sooner rather than later.”It comes amid multiple accusations of sexism in Westminster, following the row over comments made by a Tory MP about Angela Rayner’s legs and allegations from a female Labour MP about lewd remarks she was subjected to by a member of the shadow cabinet.Show latest update

1651156982Tory MP criticises party’s decision to refer ‘porn MP’ to watchdogConservative Caroline Nokes has said the decision by her party’s chief whip to refer the complaint made about a male colleague watching porn in the Commons to a parliamentary watchdog amounted to “kicking it into long grass”.Speaking to the PoliticsHome, Ms Nokes, who is chair of the women and equalities select committee, said she was “disappointed” that no action was taken swiftly against the accused MP the following day.“I thought I would wake up on Wednesday morning to find somebody had had the whip withdrawn, and that didn’t happen,” she told this week’s episode of the The Rundown podcast.“We’ve seen the whip withdrawn from colleagues for a variety of reasons over the years. I thought this seemed to be fairly straightforward. It was raised by one colleague, it was corroborated by another. That seems to me perfectly enough to withdraw the whip.”She also dismissed suggestions that the MP accused of looking at porn in the Commons, who has not been named, had accidentally opened an “unsolicited” link on his phone, insisting that the allegation from two female colleagues was “quite clear”. More

A minority of men in politics “behave like animals” and are bringing Parliament into disrepute with unacceptable behaviour, according to cabinet minister Suella Braverman.The attorney general’s comments come after an unidentified Conservative MP was accused of watching pornography in the Commons chamber, with the matter being referred to a parliamentary watchdog.Referring to the “reprehensible” incident, Ms Braverman said she was “shocked and appalled”, telling BBC’s Woman’s Hour she was also “ashamed this person is carrying the Conservative rosette”.Describing her own experience of political life, she said: “I’ve been a member of parliament now for nearly seven years. I’ve been in the Conservative Party and in politics for 20 years.“My personal experience, I have to say, is that on no occasion have I been made to feel uncomfortable, and all the men that I’ve worked with have been respectful, courteous, and supportive”.But she went on: “There is, however, a very small minority of men, and it is men, who fall short and there are some bad apples who are out of order, who behave like animals and are bringing parliament into disrepute to be honest.“So I don’t think we should be saying there’s a pervasive culture — that’s not my experience. There are certain individuals who are behaving in an unacceptable way.”Speaking about the allegation of a Conservative MP watching porn, Ms Braverman said she had been wondering why an individual “would be so brazen, so reckless, so stupid, so appallingly behaved to be watching porn in the workplace, in broad daylight and in the presence of colleagues.”“What would possess them?” she asked. “It’s totally unacceptable.”Ms Braverman said she was not aware of the identity of the MP concerned and wasn’t present at a meeting of female Tories who raised the case during a discussion with the party’s chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris on Tuesday evening.But she welcomed the Mr Heaton-Harris’s decision to refer the claim to parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) — a body that was set up in the wake of the Me Too movement.“I hope if this is proven to be true then we will see the most severe reprimand,” she added, with the Conservative whip being remove and echoed defence secretary Ben Wallace’s earlier comment the individual should be subject to a recall petition and no longer being an MP.Pressed on reports that 56 MPs have been referred to ICGS, including three members of the cabinet for allegations of sexual misconduct, Ms Braverman said she would not “pre-judge” investigations.“It’s been reported there has been 56 complaints — any complaint is too high. That is a minority of the number of men in Parliament, the number of people in Parliament, a small minority I would argue,” she added.“It’s not reflective of the consensus or the majority, so I say we do have a minority of people who are behaving in an unacceptable way.” More

The Electoral Commission has said it is “concerned” about its future independence after the government passed a new law to put it under ministerial control.The changes included in the Elections Bill, which finally passed the House of Lords on Wednesday night, will hand the government sweeping powers to direct the elections watchdog’s priorities.Opponents say the changes endanger free and fair elections and amount to an “authoritarian power grab” that will let ministers shape how electoral law applies to their own party and political opponents.Under the bill, which was passed be peers by 202 votes to 181, the secretary of state will be able to unilaterally issue a “statement of purpose” that directs the Commission’s priorities.The bill will also automatically add a government minister to the committee that oversees and scrutinises the work of the Commission – entrenching a Tory majority.The law had been defeated by peers on Monday but was sent back to the upper house again two days later – a move which sources in the House of Lords say caught opposition parties off-guard.Just 67 Labour peers turned out to vote against the measure, 70 Liberal Democrats, 33 crossenchers, and three rebel Conservatives. The House of Lords has 767 members and an inbuilt opposition majority, but many peers do not turn up to vote on all occasions. Opposition parties were surprised by how many Tories turned up on Wednesday, and were unable to stop the bill despite having done so two days earlier.Responding to the vote, a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said: “As the political finance regulator and the body which oversees free and fair elections, the way we work and our decisions must remain independent. This underpins fairness and trust in the electoral system, as well as public and cross party confidence in the Commission.“We remain concerned about the potential impact of this measure, and look to the formal consultation on the Government’s proposed statement once that is available.“All parties have stated during the parliamentary consideration of the Elections Bill that the independence of the Electoral Commission is vital to the functioning of a healthy democracy. The Commission will continue to act in an independent and impartial way in order to help maintain public confidence in elections across the UK.”The bill also introduces a requirement for voter ID at elections, which critics say will make it disproportionately harder for demographics that favour opposition parties to vote, suppressing turnout.Kyle Taylor, director of campaign group Fair Vote UK, said that the government had essentially “voted to officially end the independence of the Electoral Commission” and that the new powers mean ministers “can effectively rig election rules in their favour”.”This is how countries slide into authoritarianism,” he added. “First you take control of the institutions, then you rig them in your favour and ban noisy protest so people can’t fight back. It’s a dark day for democracy.”Naomi Smith, chief executive campaign group Best for Britain, said: “Last night was the last chance to protect the independence of the elections watchdog and with it free and fair elections in the UK.“Despite the enormous efforts of a cross party, cross organisational resistance to the government’s authoritarian power grab, tonight Johnson’s regime succeeded in its latest pursuit to dodge accountability. “There is now an urgent need to remove this government and undo the damage they have wrought on our institutions and public trust in politics. Opposition parties must work together to make this a reality.”Alex Norris, Labour’s shadow minister for Levelling Up and Elections, told The Independent that the move was “outrageous”.“Just as with Owen Paterson and with their attempts to prevent the Prime Minister being investigated for lying about breaking lockdown rules, the Tories are trying to rig the rules of the game to help themselves, with potentially dangerous consequences,” he said.Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael added that “any threat to the independence of the Electoral Commission” was “an existential threat to democracy in the UK”. He said: “We cannot allow Boris Johnson to rewrite the rulebook in order to prop up his failing Government.Conservative Cabinet Office minister Lord True told peers on Wednesday night that the bill was “necessary” and took “a reasonable approach to reforming the accountability of the Electoral Commission whilst respecting their operational independence”.He added that the changes “will not allow the government to direct the Commission’s decision-making nor will it undermine the Commission’s other statutory duties”. The minister said the government would accept minor amendments restricting the content of the “statement of purpose”, and increasing parliamentary scrutiny – but opposition peers said this amounted only to a minor tweak. Crossbench peer Lord Judge, a former head of the judiciary, said the bill’s provisions were “inconsistent with the need for the Commission to be and to be seen to be independent of the government and indeed all political parties”. Lord Blunkett, a former Labour Home Secretary said: “This is so fundamental to the way in which we conduct our democracy, our election processes, and therefore the transparency and trust that people should expect … it will come home to bite them, I promise them.” More

Labour is buying targeted online adverts attacking the Lib Dems for wanting to decriminalise drugs, The Independent has learned.Keir Starmer’s party in mid-April began to buy Facebook and Instagram attack ads singling out the policy to tens of thousands of people.It comes as the opposition ramps up authoritarian rhetoric and policies on social issues like climate protests and criminal justice. In January Keir Starmer said he was not in favour of changing drug laws – putting him at odds with mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who wants to pilot new approaches in the capital. Facebook’s ad library, which keeps a record of ads purchase, shows Sir Keir’s party started to buy the adverts in the run-up to local elections next month May.The Lib Dems say they want want to take a public health approach to drug addiction, treating it as medical issue rather than criminal.They also say they would give people who need it access to medical cannabis and regulate sales of it market. But the Labour ads falsely claim Ed Davey’s party wants to “legalise drugs”, a different policy.One version of the advert says “The Lib Dems want to legalise drugs and soften punishments” as well as “get rid of nuclear weapons”, next to a picture of Ed Davey.A second version features the text “LEGALISE DRUGS” on a yellow background, next to a headline clipped from The Independent.The headline, which is actually from 2015 when Nick Clegg was leader, says “All drugs should be decriminalised, say the Lib Dems” – not supporting the claim in the rest of the advert.The anti-decriminalisation push comes weeks after Labour called for a nationwide ban on climate protests on roads and around oil depots.A spokesperson for Labour left-wing pressure group Momentum described the adverts as “morally disgraceful, politically inept”.”The public actually support liberalising our drug laws and ending the failed War on Drugs,” they said.”But if you conflate the public with Fleet Street, you’d never know it.”A poll by YouGov conducted last year found that by 52 per cent to 32 per cent UK voters would support the full legalisation of cannabis.Facebook allows adverts to be targeted by demographics and location, meaning parties can say one thing to one set of voters and another to another set.A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “Instead of pushing false claims about the Liberal Democrats, Labour would do better to focus on the Conservative government’s appalling record on crime, which is seeing 5,000 crimes go unsolved every day. “Liberal Democrats are calling for proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and focused on cutting crime. “These local elections are a chance to elect Liberal Democrat councillors who will work hard to prevent crime and make sure people can truly feel safe in their communities.” More

Boris Johnson is to admit he was present in his Downing Street flat during the lockdown-busting ‘Abba party’ — but only in order to conduct a job interview with a close friend of his wife.The prime minister has refused to say whether he was at the 13 November, 2020 gathering – held to mark the departure of Dominic Cummings – but is now conceding privately that he was there.The sound of The Winner Takes It All is said to have boomed through the building, making it one of the most controversial of up to six events Mr Johnson attended in apparent breach of Covid laws.Last week, Mr Johnson told Tory MPs it was “a work event” — lifting the lid on the evidence he is likely to have given the police and Sue Gray’s stalled Cabinet Office inquiry.Now, he is expected to argue that he invited Henry Newman — then an adviser to Michael Gove — to join him in the No 11 flat where he lives with his wife and children.A government source told The Times that Mr Johnson has claimed he did not break the law because he was conducting a work-related interview with the adviser in another part of the flat.The PM invited Mr Newman up to the flat to distance the pair from leaving drinks being held elsewhere in the building for Lee Cain, who had just been ousted as his director of communications.Separately, Downing Street has not denied that the prime minister effectively turned Mr Cain’s event into a leaving party. “He said he wanted to say a few words for Lee and started pouring drinks for people and drinking himself,” a source told the Sunday Times.Carrie Johnson has previously described her close friend Mr Newman as her political “bestie” and he is said to be a regular Downing Street visitor.The prime minister is expected to escape a fine for the “bring your own booze” party he attended in the No 10 garden, a legal expert has predicted – despite others being punished.But his troubles have deepened after he failed to block a Commons inquiry into whether he lied to MPs, when he wrongly told them no Covid rules were broken.Top Conservatives are predicting that a post-local elections challenge to Mr Johnson’s leadership is now inevitable, as MPs contemplate no end to the controversy.And, one senior Tory, Steve Baker, has warned the Conservatives will “reap the whirlwind” of public anger over the parties at the ballot box on 5 May. More