Tag Archives: Reclaim

After Keir Starmer failed to turn down a Lab-Lib coalition, Rishi Sunak is joining the act

Rishi no-mates: his Conservative Party will have few options if it secures too few seats in a general election to form a government – other parties suffer at voters’ hands if they help the Tories.

We’ve all had our fun, mocking Keir Starmer’s inability to deny that he’d go into coalition with the Liberal Democrats if it gave him a sniff at power. Even Rishi Sunak did it, in Prime Minister’s Questions this week (Wednesday, May 10).

But it seems he has no reason to feel superior at all, because it seems he can’t rule out forming an alliance with some of the more… controversial?… parties:

The article states:

Number 10 has refused to rule out the possibility of the Conservatives forming a coalition government with a smaller party, including the controversial Reclaim Party, run by right-wing commentator Laurence Fox.

Rishi Sunak’s press secretary repeatedly said she would “not speculate” about what might happen after the next general election when asked at a briefing following PMQs.

Ironically, the prime minister criticised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for doing the same on Wednesday in response to questions about whether he’d form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

“While he is busy plotting coalitions, we are getting on and delivering for the British people,” the PM said.

But minutes later his press secretary, asked whether the Tories would consider a confidence-and-supply arrangement or coalition with a smaller party, said: “I don’t think anyone at this stage is going to speculate on the results of the next election.

“The prime minister is fully committed to and focused on delivering his five priorities and that’s what we’re going to do to get a Conservative majority.”

Asked if there could be a coalition with Reclaim, she said “it’s not one for me” and in response to a similar question about the Reform Party, previously the Brexit Party, she said: “Again, I am telling you that the prime minister is focused on delivering for the people, which will deliver a Conservative majority.”

Reclaim has just one MP. It announced that Andrew Bridgen had joined after being expelled by the Tories for expressing controversial views on coronavirus vaccines.

Reform doesn’t have any MPs at all.

The Tories would be scraping the barrel if they even considered either of these parties to have anything to offer in coalition.

But then, it’s well accepted that nobody else would even consider joining forces with Rishi Sunak’s party, after the experiences of the Lib Dems and the DUP


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Court challenge win over Sarah Everard vigil raises questions about authorities

Heavy-handed: after the Met Police said it would be illegal to stage a socially-distanced vigil under lockdown conditions, organised by Reclaim These Street, an impromptu event happened instead – leading to heavy criticism of the same force for the brutal way it was seen to put down protesters.

Decisions by the Metropolitan Police that discouraged organisers from holding a vigil for Sarah Everard were against the law, according to High Court judges.

Police statements that Covid-19 regulations at the time meant holding the vigil would be unlawful, and had a “chilling” effect, contributing to the decision to cancel the vigil (an impromptu event was then put down by police with what some have described as brutal force).

None of the force’s decisions was in accordance with the law; evidence showed that the force failed to perform its legal duty to consider whether the claimants might have a reasonable excuse for holding the gathering, or to conduct the fact-specific proportionality assessment required in order to perform that duty.

That’s a victory for justice. But the High Court had previously refused to declare that any ban on outdoor gatherings under the coronavirus regulations at the time was “subject to the right to protest” – or to declare that an alleged force policy of “prohibiting all protests, irrespective of the specific circumstances” was unlawful.

And Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services concluded the police “acted appropriately” when dealing with the event.

So this raises an obvious question:

Are the High Court and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary fit for purpose if they can’t make a simple ruling in favour of the law?

In a ruling today (March 11), Lord Justice Warby and Mr Justice Holgate found that the Metropolitan Police breached the rights of Jessica Leigh, Anna Birley, Henna Shah and Jamie Klingler to freedom of speech and assembly, and did not assess the potential risk to public health:

Reclaim These Streets (RTS) proposed a socially-distanced vigil for the 33-year-old, who was murdered by former Met officer Wayne Couzens, near to where she went missing in Clapham, south London, in March last year.

The four women who founded RTS and planned the vigil brought a legal challenge against the force over its handling of the event, which was also intended to be a protest about violence against women.

They withdrew from organising the vigil after being told by the force they would face fines of £10,000 each and possible prosecution if the event went ahead, and a spontaneous vigil and protest took place instead.

The policing of the spontaneous vigil that took place drew criticism from across the political spectrum after women were handcuffed on the ground and led away by officers.

Summarising the decision, Lord Justice Warby said:

“The relevant decisions of the (Met) were to make statements at meetings, in letters, and in a press statement, to the effect that the Covid-19 regulations in force at the time meant that holding the vigil would be unlawful.

“Those statements interfered with the claimants’ rights because each had a ‘chilling effect’ and made at least some causal contribution to the decision to cancel the vigil.

“None of the (force’s) decisions was in accordance with the law; the evidence showed that the (force) failed to perform its legal duty to consider whether the claimants might have a reasonable excuse for holding the gathering, or to conduct the fact-specific proportionality assessment required in order to perform that duty.”

If Lord Justice Warby and Mr Justice Holgate could see this evidence and act upon it, there’s no reason other High Court judges could not do the same – and certainly no reason Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary – which should specialise in the law as it applies to the police – couldn’t.

Why did they make the wrong call, then?

And what will be done to correct what are clearly faults in the attitude of the people who made the wrong decisions?

It costs a fortune to take a case to the High Court; these organisations have a duty to the public to get their decisions right first time.

Sadly, experience suggests to This Writer that the usual action will be taken: nothing at all.

Source: Sarah Everard vigil organisers win High Court challenge against Met Police – upday News UK

Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/mike-sivier-libel-fight/


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