Summary
- Updates on the Rwanda Bill with a vote expected today.
- The dangers of Smart Motorways will be the focus of tonight’s Panorama on BBC1.
- South Yorkshire Police officer to appear in court charged with common assault.
- Police Appeal for indecent exposure in Endcliffe Park.
- Rishi Sunak calling on more effort to rebuild the trust among Jewish community.
- Margaret McKeich saying that justice has finally been made after the murderer of her child has been jailed.
- UK is about to become the first country to ban extreme right-wing online terror group
- A Sheffield teacher heard for exchanging over 1,000 chats with student.
- The Crucible theatre selling iconic outfits in order to raise money for their costume department.
- Updates on Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield United
- Guinness World Records for Lloyd Martin at the London Marathon.
- Train strikes expected during May.
- Newsreader Huw Edwards resign from BBC.
Live Reporting
Edited by Esme Kenney and Marie Koehl
An Ecclesfield tennis club has beaten the odds to survive after “phenomenal” support from the public led to a burst of funding.
The £10,000 from Ecclesfield Parish Council was critical to meet the crowdfund target goal of £25,000 needed to ensure Thorncliffe Tennis Club would retain its £7,500 Sports England pledge.
The funding comes after the only club in Sheffield’s north was on the brink of collapse, unable to raise enough money in enough time to urgently resurface its courts.
Without this funding, the three outdoor courts would have been be unable to pass safety standards, and the club might have been forced to close.
Karen Lyon, fundraising manager for Thorncliffe Tennis Club, said: “When we started out with this I can tell you people really didn’t think it would succeed. It took us nine weeks but we did it.
“The public has been phenomenal. The support from local tennis clubs, the offers from companies helping us to resurface the courts, and of course the parish council have been incredible.”
Eric Smedley, 92, at Thorncliffe Tennis Club, Credit: Thorncliffe Tennis Club Facebook page.
Tennis club saved from collapse by parish council funding
A DUP attempt to veto a new EU law applying in Northern Ireland by using one of the democratic consent processes in the Windsor Framework is a “stunt”, the SDLP has claimed.
The unionist party is to use an applicability motion at Stormont on Tuesday to allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to vote on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products.
Under the rules of the Windsor Framework, a deal agreed by the UK Government to allay unionist concerns over post-Brexit trading arrangements, some EU laws still apply in Northern Ireland.
DUP Stormont attempt to block new EU law a stunt, SDLP claims
In response to concerns that Sheffield is the second most dangerous city for children using roads, a new plan has been proposed to make Sheffield roads safer.
Sheffield City Council have launched a new Road Safety Action Plan that will focus on continuing to reduce the numbers of road accidents in Sheffield.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, said: “Safer roads are a human right, and we want Sheffield to be a place where everyone is free to move in a safe and healthy way, every day.”
Council plans to make Sheffield’s most dangerous roads safer for kids
Council plans to make Sheffield’s most dangerous roads safer for kids
In a meeting today, an additional £1,085.0k was approved for funding of an additional 100 more post-16 SEND places at the Peaks Campus of Sheffield College.
Sheffield’s special schools have already been significantly expanded and are on constrained sites, so the most viable way to increase sufficiency is to develop provision in post-16 and increase the flow of pupils to these settings.
Finance manager, Damian Wilkinson said: “It will be really helpful for relieving places that are over filled in the secondary school area.”
Post-16 learners with Education, Health and Care Plans across mainstream and special education settings are forecast to increase by 284% by 2029, with at least half these learners expected to be in special education settings
The Peaks Campus has been closed since September 2023 and capital work is needed to make it fit for purpose.
This includes remodelling rooms, new fencing, the building of life skills suites and installing a fire evacuation lift.
The funding from the project is coming from High Needs Capital Allocation (£1,193.1k) and Sheffield College (£3.9k)
Sheffield council approve additional funding for new post-16 SEND accommodation
The “best way out of poverty…is through work”, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said in response to calls for legislation to ensure Universal Credit will cover essentials such as food, household bills and travel costs.
SNP MP Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) told the Commons: “Research from the Trussell Trust shows the devastating truth though, more than half of people receiving Universal Credit ran out of food in January and couldn’t afford more, and 2.4 million Universal Credit claimants have fallen into debt because they couldn’t keep up with essential bills.
“Will the Secretary of State back their joint campaign with the Joseph Rowntree foundation and commit to legislating for an essentials guarantee in Universal Credit to reduce food bank use and ensure everyone has a protected minimum amount of support in order to afford life’s essentials, yes or no?”
In his reply Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “This Government recognises that the best way out of poverty, the best way to address the circumstances that (Ms Blackman) describes is through work, and that is why the Chancellor reduced taxation making work pay evermore, it’s why the national living wage is to be increased by close to 10% as of this April, following a similar increase around this time last year.”
“Best way out of poverty is through work” says Work and Pensions Secretary
Prince William is expected to visit Sheffield tomorrow where he will unveil major commitments, secured through The Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme, to prevent homelessness.
The Prince of Wales will meet with local landlords to discuss how they can assist with ending family homelessness within the city and hear about housing commitments they are making to support the Homewards programme.
Last year, Sheffield was announced as one of the locations to benefit from The Royal Foundation’s Homewards Programme. Homewards is a five-year locally led programme launched by Prince William which hopes to show that it is possible to end homelessness.
Speaking last year, Prince William said: “In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home, be treated with dignity and given the support they need.
“Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality and over the next five years, give people across the UK hope that homelessness can be prevented when we collaborate.”
Royal Visit: Prince William expected to unveil plans to prevent homelessness in visit to Sheffield
A leading barrister and a former council chief have taken their seats on the Tory benches in the House of Lords.
Lord Banner KC wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in the Lords, where he swore the oath of allegiance to the King.
The 43-year-old, who was called to the Bar in 2004 and has lectured in law at Oxford, was supported by fellow Conservative peers Lord Blencathra and Lord Wolfson of Tredegar KC.
Also joining the unelected chamber was Lord Jamieson, who previously led Central Bedfordshire Council and chaired the Local Government Association.
Two more Tory peers take seats on red benches in House of Lords
The Government makes it “difficult” for the long-term sick to access financial support when they are unable to work, a Conservative MP told the Commons.
Duncan Baker (North Norfolk) said a constituent of his who is being treated for cancer had difficulty accessing universal credit and Personal Independence Payments (PIP). He added: “Why should she have to come to my office, an MP’s office to get help, when someone is seriously ill? Why do we make it so arduous and difficult to give people that need treatment help?”
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “My department does a great deal to support the long-term sick and disabled, including through the universal credit and health element and also through PIP.”
He added that he would meet with Mr Baker to look at his constituent’s circumstances in more detail.
Labour MP Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) called for the “flawed and outdated” PIP system to be replaced with a “framework that is fit for purpose”.
Mr Stride replied: “We always keep all benefits under review at the department, including PIP and the assessment processes. There is quite rightly as (Marsha De Cordova) points out, an appeals process for those who are not happy with the conclusions of those assessments, we keep those under review.”
Conservative MP says government makes it “difficult” for long-term sick to access financial support
Former US president Barack Obama has arrived at Downing Street for an undisclosed private meeting.
Mr Obama, who served in the White House from 2009 to 2017, smiled and waved at members of the press before he entered No 10 shortly after 3pm.
Obama arrives at Downing Street for private meeting
A “controlling and coercive” father who shook his three-month-old daughter, causing her un-survivable head injuries, has been jailed for 14 years.
Samuel Warnock, 29, of Devizes in Wiltshire, previously pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the manslaughter of Maya Warnock in 2021.
His wife and Maya’s mother, Jasmine Warnock, 29, was also sentenced to a three-year community order with 30 rehabilitation days after pleading guilty to child cruelty for failing to stop her husband from assaulting their daughter.
Sentencing the pair, the judge, Mrs Justice May, said that the death came against a background of domestic abuse by Warnock against his wife.
She described Warnock as a “reckless and irresponsible new father, prone to anger, easily frustrated, profoundly needy and dangerously incapable of caring properly for a tiny new baby”.
The judge told Mrs Warnock: “You are to some extent a victim of controlling and coercive behaviour and this impacted your ability to recognise what he was doing but it didn’t render you entirely powerless.”
‘Controlling and coercive’ man jailed for 14 years for manslaughter of his baby
Unions have raised concerns about Ofcom proposals which could allow Channel 4 to allocate 91% of its production budget to projects in England.
The broadcasting regulator is consulting on the licence renewal for Channel 4 as the current licence ends on December 31 this year.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), representing a number of unions which work in broadcasting, says the “made outside England” quota should be increased to at least 16%, with a specific Scottish quota of 8%.
Union leaders say Scottish production companies could lose out under the proposals and a joint letter has been sent to Channel 4 and Ofcom.
Unions concerned at proposals for Channel 4 regional production budget
Francesco Acerbi has left the Italy national squad ahead of upcoming friendlies in the United States after he was alleged to have racially abused Napoli defender Juan Jesus.
The Inter Milan defender is alleged to have racially abused Brazil international Jesus in Sunday’s 1-1 draw in Serie A, something Acerbi has denied.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said Acerbi has explained his version of events to Italy coach Luciano Spalletti and his team-mates and it has been agreed he will take no part in games against Venezuela and Ecuador.
A statement on the FIGC website read: “Francesco Acerbi, who arrived at the national team camp in Rome this morning, explained to head coach, Luciano Spalletti, and his team-mates his version of the alleged racist expression reported by Juan Jesus during Inter vs Napoli last night, as required by the internal policy of Club Italia.
“From the Nerazzurri defender’s report, in waiting for what happened to be reconstructed in compliance with the autonomy of sporting justice, it emerged that there was no defamatory, denigrating or racist intent on his part.
“However, it was agreed that Acerbi should be left out of the squad for the next two friendlies scheduled in the United States in order to let things settle for the national team and the player himself, who will return to his club today.
“As a result, Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, who was already part of a reserved squad list, has been called up.”
An Inter statement added: “FC Internazionale Milano takes note of the official statement released by the FIGC in relation to the events involving Francesco Acerbi during last night’s match against Napoli, and of the fact that FIGC and Acerbi have agreed that the player will not be involved in the national team’s next two friendlies scheduled in the United States.
“FC Internazionale Milano will meet with the player as soon as possible to shed light on the exact details of what happened last night.”