Markus Andrews

A Metropolitan Police Service officer who was found to have racially profiled a Black driver during a stop-and-search last year will face no penalty for their actions.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation after a 27-year-old man was stopped after being observed by officers while driving in Old Kent Road in south London, in May 2020. The victim was placed in handcuffs and had a Taser pointed at him, and his car and his three passengers were searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The watchdog found that one officer had a case to answer for misconduct due to bias as he racially profiled the man during the incident, did not provide adequate grounds for the stop and failed to follow the guidance provided by the College of Policing.It was also found that the officer breached coronavirus force policy by failing to wear proper PPE and could have used tactics to de-escalate the situation rather than handcuffing and using the ‘red-dot’ function of the Taser on the man.The Metropolitan Police Service agreed that the officer should address these issues and focus on what constitutes reasonable grounds for stop and search and consider the impact of the disproportionate use of stop and search on Black and minority ethnic communities.The force said the IOPC had agreed the officer should take part in equality and diversity training, but will face no other action over the incident.IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem said: “Stop and search is an important policing tool but can also be very intrusive and affect the trust and confidence that Black communities have in the police service. It is vital it is used with care. “Our investigation found evidence that racial bias played a part in an officer’s decision to stop the member of the public and the officer will now have to reflect and learn from this.“It is this sort of incident that can undermine the legitimacy of stop and search as a policing tactic.”He added: “For those members of the community affected disproportionally by the use of stop and search, they must have confidence that racial bias plays no part in how this policing power is used.”In a statement to The Independent, the Met said the officer’s future stop and search data will be reviewed by his supervisor to review any potential for unconscious bias.A spokesperson added: “In all three instances (relating to the search carried out by the officer, racial profiling and lack of PPE) the IOPC concluded that there was misconduct and agreed that should be addressed through reflective practice for the officer concerned, including reviewing the relevant legislation relating to stop and search powers as well as completing further training in this area. “Stop and search is a vitally important tool in the fight against violence and associated criminality and we are acutely aware that its use must be justifiable in every instance. We are also aware of the impact it has on the black community. “Where our standards slip below where they should be, we should be challenged and rightfully held to account. On this occasion the IOPC and MPS agree that the officer involved should reflect on their performance and actions to determine whether a better outcome could be achieved in future.” More

Today voters across the UK will head to the polls for a series of local elections.Around 48 million people have registered to vote, with local council contests taking place in England and elections to the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales.London, Manchester, Liverpool and Tees Valley are among several cities and regions that will choose a new mayor. There is also a by-election in Hartlepool, where voters there will elect a new Westminster MP.People must register to vote before they can choose their preferred candidate in any of those elections. The deadline to register for the 6 May elections has now passed, although people can still sign up for future elections now if they wish (see below).Am I registered to vote?You can check whether you are registered to vote by contacting your local Electoral Registration Office. This can be done via the following link.Where is my nearest polling station?You can find out where your nearest polling station is by checking with your local council or by entering your postcode here.What if I’m not registered to vote?The deadline to register to vote in the 6 May elections has now passed.But people who want to vote in future elections can do so if:They are a British citizenAn Irish or EU citizen living in the UKA Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permissionA citizen of another country living in Scotland or Wales who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permissionThose wishing to join the electoral register and vote in future elections can do so by following this link.The process usually takes around five minutes and you’ll be asked for your National Insurance number, although you can still register if you don’t have it. More

The European Commission has told Britain that the conditions imposed on licences for French fishing vessels in Jersey territorial waters breach the terms of the EU/UK trade deal, a Brussels spokesperson has said.The announcement came as France despatched two patrol boats to the island in the English Channel as tensions continued to rise in the dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights.News agency Agence France-Presse reported the two police vessels had been sent after Britain deployed a pair of Royal Navy vessels to the scene, where a flotilla of French fishing vessels are attempting to blockade St Helier harbour.Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Commission spokesperson Vivian Loonela said: “On 30 April, the Commission was notified by the UK authorities of granting 41 licences to the EU vessels fishing in Jersey territorial waters from 1 May.“But there were additional conditions set to these licences. We have following the receiving of this, indicated to the UK that we see that the provisions of the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, that we recently agreed, have not been met there, have not being respected.”Under the terms of the deal agreed by Boris Johnson on Christmas Eve, any new conditions limiting EU fishing activities in UK water must be based on a clear scientific rationale,  be non-discriminatory between the UK and European boats and be notified in advance, said Ms Loonela. “Based on that, we have indicated that until we have received further justifications from the UK authorities we consider that these new conditions should not apply,” she said.“We are continuing our discussions with the UK, we are calling for calm in this situation, we are doing as foreseen in the agreement as well as keeping in mind the best interests of our fishing community. Full compliance with the TCA is essential in this process.”Commission spokesman Daniel Ferrie said that that Brussels was “engaging in good faith with the UK” over the situation.Mr Ferrie declined to say whether it would be acceptable under the terms of the TCA for France to withhold energy supplies to Jersey in retaliation.The deal requires both parties to a dispute to “engage constructively” over any disagreement, and this was the stage which the process has reached so far, he said.If disagreements persist, the TCA allows for the complaining party to request the establishment of an arbitration tribunal.In the case of either side failing to comply with the tribunal’s ruling, the other party has the right to suspend its other obligations under the treaty “in a proportionate way”, he said.It is understood that this could include the introduction of tariffs on goods related to the dispute. More

Polling stations across Britain opened Thursday for what are considered the biggest set of elections outside a general election, local and regional contests that could have huge repercussion for the future of the United Kingdom.On what has been dubbed Super Thursday, tens of millions of voters are electing governments for Scotland and Wales, big city mayors, including for London, as well as local authorities up and down the land. A special election will also fill the U.K. parliamentary seat of Hartlepool in the north of England. The vote there could provide evidence as to whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson s Conservative Party continues to make inroads in parts of the country that the Labour Party dominated for decades.The result of that race is expected early Friday, but the outcomes of the other elections will take longer, with some possibly not emerging until Sunday, partly because of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.While more voters are expected to cast postal ballots in the elections, people going to polling stations were encouraged to bring their own pen or pencil and to wear a face covering. Many of the elections should have been held at this time last last year, but the onset of the pandemic prompted a one-year delay.The one with the potential to have the biggest U.K-wide implications is the one taking place in Scotland, where the governing Scottish National Party is looking for a renewed mandate that could speed up the prospect of a second independence referendum in the country.The party’s leader, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she is looking to push for another referendum if her party wins a majority in the parliament in Edinburgh, but only after the pandemic has been dealt with and the recovery is on track.The issue of Scotland’s independence from the U.K., which it has been part of since the 1707, appeared settled when Scottish voters rejected secession by 55%-45% in a 2014 referendum. But the U.K.-wide decision in 2016 to leave the European Union — 62% of Scottish voters cast their vote in favor of staying within the bloc — gave the nationalist cause fresh legs. As U.K. prime minister, Johnson has the ultimate authority to permit another referendum. So far, he has refused to countenance another vote, setting up the possibility of renewed tensions between his government and Sturgeon’s devolved administration if the Scottish National Party wins a majority in the 129-member Edinburgh, assembly. Polls in the run-up to the election indicate it will be tight.It’s also an important Election Day for the Labour Party, a year into the leadership of Keir Starmer, who replaced the more left-wing Jeremy Corbyn, who led Labour in the 2019 general election to its worst performance since 1935.Starmer has impressed as the leader of the opposition within the British Parliament but was unable to go out on the stump to make an impression around the country because of the pandemic.Though Labour’s Sadiq Khan is expected to easily win a second term as London mayor, defeat in the special election in Hartlepool would be particularly disappointing for the party. Labour has held the seat since the constituency’s creation in 1974. Losing it would signify that Labour is struggling to hold onto support in the so-called “red wall” in north England, which has been a bedrock of the party’s base for a century.Though the U.K. has recorded Europe’s highest virus-related death toll at more than 127,500 and witnessed one of the world’s worst recessions over the past year, Johnson’s Conservatives are hoping to see a bounce in the traditional Labour heartlands in central and northern England from the success of Britain’s vaccine rollout. The pace of vaccinations has raised the prospect of a return to some sort of normal life over the coming months that could spur a sharp economic recovery. More

More than three out of five UK firms (61 per cent) are reporting difficulties due to Brexit, resulting in rising costs, higher prices for consumers and reduced competitiveness, according to a new report.Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of exporting firms reported that Brexit has caused sales to the EU to fall, while one-third said that imports from the continent were down.Crucially, the study by the London School of Economics drew on real-time business survey data from the CBI stretching right up to April, well beyond the “teething problems” associated with the 1 January transition out of the single market and customs union.The study by the LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance found that 37 per cent of UK firms were reporting delays as a result of Brexit.More than one-third (36 per cent) said they had faced additional customs and administrative costs.And almost a quarter (22 per cent) said they were experiencing higher levels of regulatory checks.It was not only at the UK/EU border where problems were being experienced, with 20 per cent of businesses reporting increased difficulty in moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, the study found.Meanwhile, despite Boris Johnson’s assurance that his Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Brussels meant no new tariffs on UK exports, some 16 per cent of businesses reported that they have had to pay additional tariffs.The report suggested that this may result from general uncertainty about tariff policy following Brexit, or from the fact that the UK has managed to roll over only 63 of the 70 trade agreements with outside countries from which it benefited as an EU member.And the report found it was “likely that Brexit will have a sizeable impact on services trade”, although data is not yet available. “The percentage of firms reporting Brexit issues relating to trade in services is lower than those relating to goods trade, but a sizeable proportion of firms report difficulties in services trade despite a four-year period to prepare for these barriers,” wrote authors Josh De Lyon and Swati Dhingra.The negative impact of Brexit is being masked to an extent by the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a “notable increase in economic activity” in April.Businesses are more optimistic about their prospects over the next three months than they have been at any time since the start of the outbreak, said the report.“Investment in both physical and human capital will be crucial to the long-term adjustment to Covid-19 and Brexit,” said Mr De Lyon. “We find that in the manufacturing sector, more firms expect to increase expenditure on worker training and innovation in the next 12 months than to decrease it – a reversal of the situation a year ago.“But in the services sector, which includes hospitality and retail, firms are less optimistic. Data from January 2021 shows more services firms expected to reduce spending on training than increase it over the next three months.“Evidence from previous economic shocks suggests that people who remain in businesses or industries hit by the shock suffer more than those who are able to make a transition to other industries. Training programmes and adjustment assistance can help to ease such transitions.”And Dr Dhingra added: “The evidence in our report shows that Brexit played a role in the sharp drop in UK trade in 2021, with a sizeable share of firms experiencing issues in trading with the EU such as delays at the border and burdensome administrative costs. This has translated into rising costs, higher prices and reduced competitiveness.“The government should seek to support businesses in the transition to new trading relationships and to ensure that the increase in border costs is minimised.” More

To adapt a phrase, it would seem that some in the Labour Party believe that Keir Starmer’s difficulty is the left’s opportunity. While a Corbynite resurrection is unlikely, a poor election showing in Hartlepool and across the country – by what you might term Starmerite Labour – contains its own silvery-red lining. The reports are that the left – represented in parliament by the likes of Jon Trickett, Ian Lavery and Richard Burgon in the Campaign Group – is giving Starmer another year to make progress or make way for someone else. Already Burgon has urged the leader to include a “big” figure from the left in the shadow cabinet (whoever could he mean?), and there have been various coded threats about the way Starmer has been running things. Key concerns include the reversal of a Corbyn-era pledge to hike corporation tax (with Covid as the reason/cover); a suspicion that Starmer and Jonathan Ashworth’s “constructive criticism” over Covid leaves Labour looking weak and pointless; frustration at internal party disputes; and resentment about the way the drive to eradicate antisemitism has been handled, which is to say with sincerity and commitment. After all, the failure of Jeremy Corbyn to unconditionally welcome the Equality and Human Rights Commission report into Labour’s antisemitism problem has led to the former leader now sitting as an independent MP. Rebecca Long-Bailey, the once future leader, also left the front bench after an argument with the leader around antisemitism. More

The UK is sending two Royal Navy patrol vessels to Jersey following threats of a blockade by French fishermen over post-Brexit fishing rights. The British government on Wednesday reacted angrily to what it said were disproportionate and unacceptable threats after French ministers floated the possibility of cutting off the island’s electricity supply. French fishermen are also reportedly considering plans to prevent goods entering or exiting Jersey ports in protest at the new regulations, which they say threaten their ability to make a living. Boris Johnson has warned that any blockade would be “completely unjustified”. As a precaution the prime minister is sending two Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels to monitor the situation, Downing Street said last night. In a phone call with the chief minister of Jersey Mr Johnson also stressed the need for an urgent de-escalation in tensions as well as dialogue on fishing access.Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, and Greg Hands, the minister for trade, are understood to have spoken to their French counterparts to raise concerns.But government sources said the French had rebuffed attempts to organise a meeting between their maritime minister and the UK’s environment secretary George Eustice. As tensions heightened the French region of Normandy also closed an office on the island.”To threaten Jersey like this is clearly unacceptable and disproportionate,” a UK government spokesman told reporters in London.”We are working closely with the EU and Jersey on fisheries access provisions following the end of the transition period so trust the French will use the mechanisms of our new treaty to solve problems.”The fishermen are annoyed that, under the new post-Brexit fishing regime, they are being asked to produce copious documentary evidence proving they have previously fished in certain waters to obtain a licence to continue the activity.They have already staged protests at French ports and stopped some British fish from landing – exacerbating problems British exporters are already facing thanks to the UK’s departure from the EU.In a statement the government of Jersey said the French reaction “results from a misunderstanding” and that Jersey had “acted on legal advice, in good faith, and with due regard to non-discriminatory and scientific principles at every stage of these proceedings”.As a crown dependency Jersey’s foreign affairs are ultimately the responsibility of the UK, though day-to-day relations are conducted by its own government.Jersey’s foreign affairs minister Ian Gorst said the island wanted “to heal the relationship as soon as possible”.“We are entering a new era and it takes time for all to adjust. Jersey has consistently shown its commitment to finding a smooth transition to the new regime, most evidently by creating an interim arrangement to allow French fishermen time to submit their data.“That commitment remains. If French fishermen or the authorities have further evidence they would like to submit, we will update the licences to reflect that evidence.”There is no time limit on submitting evidence, and we would like to offer French fishers the opportunity to submit data directly to Jersey, in case they feel information is not travelling quickly enough through the Normandy/France/EU/UK/Jersey route.”The AFP news agency reported that about 100 French fishing vessels would sail to Jersey’s port on Thursday as part of a protest against the new rules, quoting the head of fisheries for the Normandy region, Dimitri Rogoff.Mr Rogoff said the vessels would not try to block the port at St Helier and would return to France in the afternoon, AFP reported.Responding to questions in the national assembly on Tuesday, France’s maritime affairs minister Annick Girardin said she was “revolted” by the UK government’s approach and that France was ready to retaliate.Asked about the question of “retaliatory measures”, the minister noted that Jersey relied on “the transmission of electricity by underwater cable” from France.“I would regret it if we were to get there, we will do so if we have to,” she said. Jersey receives most of its electricity from France, supplied through undersea cables.The Jersey Evening Post newspaper said that the possibility of stopping all commercial vessels accessing French ports was discussed at French protests, in addition to disrupting the island’s electricity supply. More

Thursday is the biggest electoral test of the parties since the general election, with elections for the Scottish parliament, the Welsh senedd, the mayoralties of big English cities and regions, local councils and police and crime commissioners – and a parliamentary by-election in Hartlepool.Opinion polls suggest that Nicola Sturgeon’s ambition of gaining a majority in the Edinburgh parliament is on a knife edge. Given that she is likely to be able to carry on governing as she does now with the support of the Scottish Greens, it is not her future as first minister that is at stake, but possibly the chances of a further Scottish independence referendum. Mark Drakeford, the Labour first minister of Wales, is also poised on a knife edge. He is currently governing with the support of Kirsty Williams, the sole Liberal Democrat, and Lord Elis-Thomas, the independent who was formerly in Plaid Cymru.In England, the polls suggest Labour will lose Hartlepool and many council seats in working-class Leave areas in the north and Midlands – and fail to take the mayoralties of Tees Valley and the West Midlands that were once regarded as prime targets. Keir Starmer may try to rally his troops by pointing to sweeping gains in London and across the south of England. By Friday afternoon, the results should be coming in thick and fast. For Westminster updates delivered straight to your inbox sign up to John Rentoul’s free View From Westminster newsletter by clicking here They will be later than usual because of social distancing at the counts, but the Hartlepool election will be announced overnight (not before 4am, according to the local council) and by mid-afternoon we may have the first-round result from the West Midlands, a handful of English local councils and some early Scottish and Welsh results. I’ll be here to answer your questions, live at 4pm on Friday 7 May.All you have to do is register to submit your question in the comments below. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments box to leave your question. Don’t worry if you can’t see your question – they will be hidden until I join the conversation to answer them. Join us live on this page on Friday at 4pm as I tackle as many questions as I can. More