News

Investigations into the death of Smiley Culture will be speeded up to provide answers says the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Prior to a public meeting held yesterday evening at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton, south London, IPCC Commissioner Mike Franklin commented; "I am mindful that our investigation needs to be thorough and robust but that it also needs to be done as quickly as possible because people are rightly demanding answers.

A ray of sunshine for campaigners and travellers came with the Budget Statement that the proposed increase of Air Passenger Duty (APD) departure tax will be delayed until April 2012.

Chancellor George Osborne announced that instead of the proposed commercial traveller duty increase, the Government may now seek to impose a tax rise on private jets whose passengers currently pay no duty.  

A coalition of race equality organisations told senior MPs today that the government is not doing enough to tackle race inequalities in the UK.

They also expressed concern regarding the government’s decision last week to re-open its consultation on the Equality Act 2010’s specific equality duties, arguing that this could result in a watering down of the legislation. This is the third consultation on the specific equality duties.

Last night the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly by 557 to 13 to back the UN Resolution 1973 to take military action against Libya and its leaders.

Of the 13 MPs that voted against were Bolton’s Yasmin Qureshi, and old Labour stalwarts Dennis Skinner and Islington’s Jeremy Corbyn.

The debate and vote which lasted for 6 hours while gaining a majority of supports raised many concerns that MPs and their constituents across the UK have of military intervention in Libya. Here are some of the questions:

This evening sees the second part of The Secret World of Whitehall programme being broadcast on BBC Four. The programme has been looking at the role of civil servants over the last century in the role of Government and decision-making operations.

Press Release. To the News Desk.

There will be a public meeting held at Brixton Town Hall, Acre Lane, Lambeth, SW2 1RW at 7PM Thursday, 24th March 2011.

The meeting will be looking into the suspicious circumstances in the death of David Victor Emmanuel, better known as Smiley Culture.

The meeting will be addressed by the Emmanuel family, social activist Lee Jasper, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission's Mike Franklin.

For a whole week our house was building up to National Red Nose day. Red nose day fever was driven almost exclusively by my five year old son: ‘Dad, in another day soon will it be Red Nose day? ‘Yes son, only two more days to go’.

The local school had rightly got the children excited about a day in which they could have fun-no school uniform, lots of games and conversations about helping others. We gave him a pound pocket money- which he earned by tidying his room-to make his contribution to Red Nose day.

The wait to hear the site of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s honeymoon destination is reminding me of the build-up to learn who would host the 2018 football world cup. Australia is the sentimental favourite, with William teasing out this possibility, as he visited flood-ravaged areas 'down under'. 

Hugh Muir over at The Guardian has written a piece covering the growing campaign over the death of 1980s music star Smiley Culture (real name David Emmanuel):

Waliur Rahman aims to become one of Britain’s youngest Councillors in the upcoming May Bristol Council elections. He is a graduate of OBV’s Councillor Shadowing Scheme and tells the story of his political journey.

Before 2008, I had the same opinions of politicians as many young people do, with the view that all politicians are liars and power hungry.