Markus Andrews

The Queen’s Speech has set out government plans to introduce new laws designed to safeguard freedom of speech at universities.It marks the government’s intention to push ahead with a Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill for universities in England.In a speech setting out proposals for the next year, QueenElizabeth II said on Tuesday that legislation will be introduced to “protect freedom of speech”. Under the proposed legislation, new requirements will be imposed on universities and student unions, with a regulator able to issue fines for any breaches.Student unions will also have to ensure freedom of speech for members and visiting speakers.It follows controversy over cases of “no-platforming” of speakers – where they are refused a platform to speak – on campuses, including of former home secretary Amber Rudd. The new Bill also covers the creation of a free speech champion at the Office for Students (OfS), with the power to issue sanctions.The new role at the regulator – called director for freedom of speech and academic freedom – will be responsible for investigations of potential breaches of freedom of speech duties.The new legal measures will also allow individuals to seek compensation through courts for any losses suffered due to infringements of freedom of speech in higher education.In her speech on Tuesday, the Queen said: “My government will strengthen and renew democracy and the constitution.”“Legislation will be introduced to ensure the integrity of elections, protect freedom of speech and restore the balance of power between the executive, legislature and the courts.”Freedom of speech has been a hotly-contested topic at UK universities, with the government vowing to introduce greater safeguards. Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said he was “deeply worried” about the “chilling effect on campuses of unacceptable silencing and censoring” as he unveiled new legal protections earlier this year.  But Labour accused the government of “manufacturing” a culture war controversy as a distraction tactic as the plans were revealed. A university union said the government was “fighting phantom threats” while the National Union for Students claimed there was “no evidence of a freedom of expression crisis on campus”.Last month, top universities vowed to protect freedom of speech on their campuses, adding their institutions – traditionally the UK’s most selective – already facilitate “free and frank intellectual exchanges”. More

Social care charities were dismayed by the absence in the Queen’s Speech of long-awaited legislation to reform funding of the sector.Almost two years after Boris Johnson declared on his first day in 10 Downing Street that he had “a clear plan” already prepared to deal with the intractable problem, the government today promised only to “bring forward proposals” over the course of the next year.Care England, which represents independent providers, described the absence of a bill as “a missed opportunity”, while the Alzheimer’s Society said that “vague promises are no longer enough”. “Without the much-needed -not to mention heralded – reform it is questionable as to how much longer the sector can be expected to limp on,” said Care England CEO Prof Martin Green. And Richard Kramer, chief executive of national disability charity Sense, said: “It is not acceptable for disabled people, and others who use social care, to fall foul of financial trade-offs or bartering between government departments – this is about people’s lives and it’s time social care reform is given the urgent attention it needs.“It’s been nearly two years since Boris Johnson promised he would ‘fix’ social care, and after a year of immense pressure on an already outdated system, long-awaited and promised reforms still fail to materialise. Without immediate reform, disabled people and their families will continue to experience hardship and this cannot be allowed to continue.”It is understood that the prime minister favours a version of the plan put forward in 2011 by Sir Andrew Dilnot, under which lifetime spending on care would be capped.But progress is thought to have run into the sand amid arguments over the eye-watering cost.Today’s package includes a Health and Care Bill to more closely integrate the social care system with the NHS, but with little indication of how this will be done.But on the funding of social care in England it says only that “proposals on social care reform will be brought forward”.And Prof Green said: “A sector that supports and employs vast swathes of the population cannot be ignored. We stand ready and willing to help the government deliver its manifesto commitment, but the Health and Care Bill is not the vehicle to deliver this huge shift”.Government sources said that proposals will be published before the end of 2021 to help a sector which they admitted has “never been under as much pressure”.The government promised to “listen and engage with staff groups” when drawing up changesSources said that the Health and Care Bill will include provisions to improve the oversight of how social care is commissioned and delivered, and will put integrated care systems on a statutory footing across the UK to drive closer working with the NHS. Charities like Age UK have branded the condition of the nation’s care system a “crisis”.Since 2010, Conservative-led governments have cut spending on adult social care by £86 million despite a rapidly increasing demand because of the UK’s ageing population.An estimated 1.5 million people aged 65 and over don’t receive the care and support they need with essential living activities, with a postcode lottery meaning provision varies widely in different areas.The issue has bedevilled a succession of governments of all political stripes, but Mr Johnson claimed to have solved it in his speech on the steps of Downing Street in July 2019, when he said: “We will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve.”He has since been unable to spell out how such a plan would work but has repeatedly said that his goal would be to lift the fear that older people will have to sell their home to pay for the costs of care.The 2011 Dilnot commission recommended a much more generous means test and a lifetime ‘cap’ of between £25,000 and £50,000 on social care costs to relieve the pressure on individuals who currently bear the financial brunt if they need long-term care.Demand is rapidly growing, with 1.9m requests for adult social care in 2019/20, 6 per cent up since 2015/16. Over the next 20 years, the number of people aged 75 and over is expected to grow by almost 60 per cent in England – an additional 2.7 million people.Fiona Carragher, director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “While positive to hear a mention of social care reform in the Queen’s Speech today, we need more detail about what is planned, and quickly. “Almost two years since the prime minister committed to implementing a plan to address the deep-rooted problems in social care, our most vulnerable people have been worst hit by coronavirus. Thirty-four thousand people with dementia have died from the virus and many more are rapidly deteriorating. Vague promises are no longer enough. “The pandemic has exposed the cracks in our failing social care system. It is time for the government to take the next vital steps and honour their promises with a concrete plan for the 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. They need high quality, accessible social care, free at the point of use, like the NHS.” More

Lambeth Council and the Metropolitan Police Service have expressed regret after being found guilty of breaching the human rights of 34 Black activists following a landmark legal battle.The authorities imposed an illegal ban of a scheduled broadcast of a speech by controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan on the topic of transatlantic slavery reparations at a public event in 2017 – and further prohibited all of the Nation of Islam members from discussing the issue.During a High Court hearing on Monday, the judge declared that both parties had “unlawfully infringed the claimants’ rights act under the Human Rights Acts 1998, namely article 9 and article 10.”The Africa International Day of Action event was given permission to be held at Kennington Park in south London, but the authorities imposed the restrictions on topics of discussion citing concerns because of controversy surrounding Minister Farrakhan.The claimants argue that this was a “blanket” ban of their right to free speech and launched a civil claim in the High Court for breach of their Human Rights Act, under article 9 which denotes religious, social and political expression, and Article 10 which entails freedom of speech rights.Both the Met and Lambeth Council accepted liability, settling out of court, and tens of thousands of pounds in damages will be paid to the claimants who are comprised of members of the Nation of Islam.Minister Farrakhan, 86, has previously made offensive remarks about Jewish communities and has been banned from entering the UK since 2002.Though organisers assured the authorities that the religious leader would only speak upon the topic of reparations, the Met and Lambeth Council disallowed both the minister and anyone in attendance from addressing the issue.On the day, officers attended to ensure compliance.Speaking to The Independent, solicitor Andre Clovis, who represented the claimants, said: “My clients only wanted to speak about reparations for the historical and ongoing effects of slavery. “They wanted to discuss self-help and others in the black community wanted to hear what Minister Louis Farrakhan had to say on that subject alone. This is not controversial, in fact it is discussed and debated in the black community, in some of our most prestigious universities, between historical and political experts and on the political stage domestically and internationally.“Lambeth Council and the Metropolitan Police in removing the claimants’ ability to speak their minds, sought to suppress their ability to think about matters of central importance to their very being.” More

The Queen has carried out her first major public ceremonial duty since the death of her husband Prince Philip by attending a scaled-back state opening of parliament on Tuesday.Elizabeth II has launched the start of a new parliamentary session by delivering the Queen’s Speech, which sets out the government’s legislative plans for the year ahead.Some of the state opening’s pomp and ceremony has been scaled back this year to prevent the spread of Covid, but the occasion remains steeped in several obscure traditions dating back centuries.The hostage MPSome of the rituals in the state opening of parliament dates back to a time when the relationship between the monarchy and parliament was a lot less cordial.So when the Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, one MP remains in the palace as a “hostage” – a token of good faith to guarantee the monarch’s safe return.Marcus Jones, the Tory MP for Nuneaton, has chosen to be the ritual captive this year. He will stay where he is until the monarchy is safely back inside her palace. More

The government is to relax the “burdensome” state aid rules it inherited from the EU and step up subsidies to some businesses, ministers have announced.The Queen’s Speech on Tuesday included the announcement of a new Subsidy Control Bill that will set a new framework on how cash should be doled out to firms and projects.The bill will create a set of UK-wide principles that public authorities must follow when granting subsidies – replacing the old EU framework transposed into UK law at the point of exit.And it will also exempt certain categories of subsidy – yet to be named – from “certain obligations” or leave them entirely unrestricted, potentially giving ministers a freer hand when allocating funds.Ministers say state aid could be helpful in meeting strategic goals such as increasing research and development investment, or achieving the UK’s net zero climate commitment.But it remains to be seen how far the rules can be relaxed, as the UK is bound to the EU’s “level playing field” by the trade agreement Boris Johnson signed.Other trade agreements also include restrictions on state aid, and the World Trade Organisation also requires countries to keep subsidies within certain limits.If the details of the new regime are too lax it could trigger a trade row with Brussels, or with other countries under the WTO.Inside the EU the UK consistently did not make significant use of the state aid it was allowed to distribute, significantly trailing most other EU member states in the amount of support it gave. Just six EU members states spent less on state aid than the UK as a % of their GDP in 2018, with some such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Denmark distributing around four times as much as Britain proportionally.But past polling has suggested that relaxing state aid rules is a popular idea and ministers believe emphasising it will endear them to voters in marginal seats held by Labour in the north and midlands – the so-called “red wall”.The bill will contribute prohibitions on certain types of subsidy which are “which are at a particularly high risk of distorting markets”.It will also create a new database of available UK subsidies for businesses to get information on how they can access government cash. The text of the Queen’s speech said the measures will “ensure that support for businesses reflects the United Kingdom’s strategic interests and drives economic growth”. More

Internet giants will be put under a “duty of care” to protect children online, with a massive fine of as much as 10 per cent of global turnover, under proposals in the Queen’s Speech.An Online Safety Bill, to be published in draft form over the coming year, will require companies to tackle illegal content on their services and to protect children from harmful content and activity online.Watchdog Ofcom will be designated the independent online safety regulator with a suite of “robust” enforcement powers, including fines of up to £18m or 10 per cent of annual turnover, whichever is the greater, as well as “business disruption measures”.Ministers said the move would make the UK “the safest place in the world to be online… whilst protecting freedom of expression” and ensure there is “no safe space for criminal content and activity online”. Under the terms of the draft bill, major internet platforms like Facebook, Google, Instagram and TikTok will have to set out clearly in their terms and conditions what legal content is unacceptable on their platform and enforce these consistently and transparently. Platforms will be required to have “effective and accessible” user reporting and redress mechanisms to report concerns about harmful content and challenge infringement of rights.Alison Trew, senior child safety online policy officer at the NSPCC,  said: “The confirmation of an Online Safety Bill in the Queen’s Speech is a significant step towards creating a duty of care for children in order to protect young users at a time when they face unprecedented risk online.“The government must learn from other regulated industries to ensure the bill delivers an ambitious and effective framework for Ofcom to hold tech firms to account if their products cause avoidable harm to children.“Ultimately, legislation will be judged on whether it prevents harm and abuse and works in the interest of children rather than simply embedding the status quo with regulation that is palatable only to big tech firms.”Government sources said that internet users were now spending an average of more than four hours a day online, but three-quarters of adults have expressed concern about material they may encounter.The proportion of parents feel the benefits of being online outweigh the risks for their children has fallen from 65 to 55 per cent since 2015. In a month-long period during 2020, the Internet Watch Foundation and its partners  blocked at least 8.8 million attempts by UK internet users to access videos and images of children suffering sexual abuse. During lockdown, research by YouGov shows that 47 per cent of children and teens have seen content they would rather avoid, leaving them feeling uncomfortable (29 per cent), scared (23 per cent), and confused (19 per cent). One in seven (13 per cent) were exposed to harmful content on a daily basis. There were more than 69 million images and videos related to child sexual exploitation and abuse referred by US technology companies to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2019, an increase of more than 50 per cent on the previous year.  More

Boris Johnson’s government has behaved like “buccaneers” during the post-Brexit fishing rights dispute in Jersey’s waters, said former EU negotiator Michel Barnier.The prime minister ordered Royal Navy vessels to the British dependency last week after a fleet of 60 French vessels tried to blockade Jersey’s main port in protest over restricted licences.Mr Barnier accused the UK government of failing to respect the Brexit agreement on fishing access – saying the French fisherman were “right” to feel aggrieved.“I think that the British are behaving like buccaneers and it’s not the first time,” the Brexit trade deal negotiator told French TV.“I think the French fishermen are right and they must be supported,” Mr Barnier said. “The French authorities, the government and the European Commission must support these fishermen.”The French politician added: “They have the right to obtain the right to fish in these waters near Jersey and Guernsey.”French seamen in Normandy have accused the Jersey authorities of failing to issue new, legal licences needed to fish in its waters.The French government has backed its domestic industry in the dispute, with one of Emmanuel Macron’s ministers threatening to cut off Jersey’s electricity supply.Maritime minister Annick Girdardin suggested the move during a speech in the French parliament, warning Paris was ready to use “retaliatory measures” outlined in the Brexit trade agreement.Mr Barnier suggested the threats to the electricity were credible. “We must clearly tell the British it cannot work like this otherwise there will be serious consequences on the deal in general and reprisal measures that are included in the treaty,” he told the France 5 network.French minister threatens to cut off Jersey’s electricity“I think that the people of Jersey should be very careful as well because they depend on the [EU] not just for electricity but for business activity and VAT,” Mr Barnier added. “We have a global deal and they must be careful, that’s the message I want to pass on.”With the issue unresolved, local fishing industry leaders in Normandy have said any boats from the Channel Islands would be blocked from entering their ports.Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Monday that UK officials – including the environment secretary and Brexit minister were currently trying to resolve the matter with their French counterparts.“I know George Eustice and Lord Frost have been having conversations with French and EU counterparts to deescalate the situation,” he said. More

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has said guiding Scotland safely through the Covid pandemic is her “number one priority” as she prepares to give her latest update on restrictions.The SNP leader is due to confirm whether the easing of curbs can go ahead next week as planned, in the hope of returning the country to “something much more like normality”.Ms Sturgeon had previously indicated Scotland could move from level 3 to level 2 restrictions from Monday 17 May, so long as Covid cases continued to fall and the vaccine rollout carried on as planned.Her first Covid briefing since her Holyrood election victory is expected to begin around 12 noon, and will be broadcast on the Scottish government’s social media channels.Speaking ahead of her latest coronavirus update, Ms Sturgeon stressed the need to “remain vigilant” to ensure virus levels do not increase again.Moving to level 2 under the Scottish government’s five-tier system would mean that friends and family could meet inside houses, with gatherings involving up to four people from no more than two households permitted.Pubs and restaurants would also be allowed to serve alcohol indoors in level 2, while cinemas, theatres, concert halls, music venues, comedy clubs, amusement arcades and bingo halls would all be allowed to reopen.However, in Moray, which has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Scotland, public health bosses have said it is “entirely possible” that the area will not be able to see restrictions eased to level 2.NHS Grampian deputy director of public health Chris Littlejohn said the situation in the area “remains of great concern”.On Monday, Boris Johnson confirmed people in England will be able to hug loved ones, dine in restaurants and go on holiday abroad from 17 May.Earlier in the day the national Covid alert level was downgraded after a “consistent” fall in cases, hospital admissions and deaths, with the four chief medical officers of the UK – including Scotland’s Dr Gregor Smith – saying the threat level should be reduced.“Today we will outline those latest steps in lifting restrictions, while also making clear that we need to remain vigilant against any resurgence in Covid levels across Scotland,” said Ms Sturgeon ahead of her announcement.On Monday, deputy first minister John Swinney said it was the new Scottish government’s “aspiration” to suppress the virus consistently by the end of 2021 – before pushing on with plans for another vote on independence. More