Transport secretary says ending sexual violence on public transport is "absolute priority" Labour’s transport secretary Louise Haigh has said ending sexual harassment and violence on public transport is an “absolute priority” for her, as figures revealed a 50% increase in violent incidents reported on trains in the last two years. In a message on social media, Haigh described the numbers as “appalling”, and said “I’ve already met with the British Transport Police (BTP) to discuss how we work together to end the scourge of violence against women and girls on our public transport. This is an absolute priority for me.” Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said the level of violence was “unacceptable”, telling PA Media “In this day and age, no woman should have to plan her journeys by public transport based on where and when she will feel safe, and yet that is the daily experience for millions of women.” A survey commissioned by BTP found the number of sexual harassment reports doubled to 1,908, over the two-year period from 2021 to 2023, while the number of crimes against women and girls rose from 7,561 to 11,357, and the number of sexual offences rose 10% from 2,235 to 2,475. Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of Rail Delivery Group said: “Experiences of sexual harassment are sadly a reality for many women, but as an industry our message is clear, any form of sexual harassment on the rail network is completely unacceptable and we are working with the British Transport Police to confront this problem. [We] want people to feel confident to report anything that makes them uncomfortable by texting 61016 or using the Railway Guardian app.” Head of crime and public protection at the BTP, TDCI Sarah White, said it takes “all reports seriously” and that the organisation was “working tirelessly to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour.” Summary of the day … Labour’s transport secretary Louise Haigh has said ending sexual harassment and violence on public transport is an “absolute priority” for her, as figures revealed a 50% increase in violent incidents reported on trains in the last two years. In a message on social media, Haigh described the numbers as “appalling”. Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said the level of violence was “unacceptable”, telling PA Media “In this day and age, no woman should have to plan her journeys by public transport based on where and when she will feel safe, and yet that is the daily experience for millions of women” Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds held talks with senior representatives from the TUC, CBI, Unison, Unite and the British Chambers of Commerce today over Labour’s plans for workplace reform Conservative leadership hopeful Mel Stride has repeated his criticism of Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage, and again ruled out doing any deal with him. Stride said he would not welcome Farage into the Tory party if Stride won the leadership election, saying “No deals with Nigel Farage. Nigel Farage wants to destroy the Conservative party” Stride said he was not surprised by a polling result which suggested that three in five British people asked didn’t care about who the next party leader would be, saying many people would have considered the way the party had been fighting itself “pretty selfish” Stride described Elon Musk’s interventions into British politics as “absurd and deeply, deeply unhelpful”, but said that he would continue to use the platform, despite reservations about it Britain’s annual inflation rate rose to 2.2% last month – its first increase since December last year – as domestic energy bills fell by less than in July 2023. Darren Jones, Labour’s chief secretary to the Treasury, said “The new government is under no illusion as to the scale of the challenge we have inherited”. Sarah Olney, Liberal Democrat treasury spokesperson, has said the inflation figures are “a stark reminder that the cost of living crisis is not over”. Stride cautioned that public pay settlements by the new government threatened to drive further inflation in the future Scotland’s deputy first minister has claimed “disrespectful and damaging” actions by the UK government mean a benefit to help with the cost of fuel bills cannot be paid to all pensioners. Kate Forbes said the Scottish government has been forced to limit payments because “the Chancellor announced this cut to the winter fuel payment just weeks before the Scottish parliament is due to take on responsibility for the payment – and without any consultation with the Scottish government” Foreign secretary David Lammy has been meeting in London with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud Scotland’s first minister John Swinney has posted a series of messages to social media justifying a meeting between the Scottish government’s cabinet secretary for external affairs Angus Robertson and Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK Daniela Grudsky Private rents across the country jumped 8.6% in the year to July, averaging £1,319 monthly, according to the ONS’s estimates. The average price for a home increased by 2.7% in the 12 months to June in the UK London Southend Airport has become the latest airport to secure a high court injunction to stop environmental protesters trespassing on its land. In a separate court action, an environmental consultant has lost a high court challenge against the government’s approval of a new gas power station in north-east England called the Net Zero Teesside Project A £450m plan to expand an AstraZeneca vaccine-manufacturing site in Merseyside has suffered a blow after it emerged the government plans to cut some of the funding for the scheme Liberal Democrats have called for A-level students who had their education disrupted by crumbling concrete in schools to have the ability to appeal against their grades. A-level results in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are released tomorrow Former Conservative deputy prime minister Thérèse Coffey failed in an application for a job in Labour’s Treasury department Liz Truss continues to be irritated by the stunt that interrupted her talk in Suffolk. She said “What happened last night was not funny. Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons. This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech”. Her talk was interuppted by a banner of a lettuce with some googly-eyes and the slogan “I crashed the economy” That is it from me, Martin Belam, for today. I shall reconvene with you bright and early tomorrow. Liz Truss continues to be irritated by the stunt that interrupted her talk in Suffolk. She has posted to social media to reiterate that she did not find it funny, and questioned whether the reaction of people laughing would be different in an entirely different set of circumstances. The former prime minister, who lost her seat as an MP in July, said: What happened last night was not funny. Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons. This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech. I won’t stand for it. Would we see the same reaction if the activists were far-right? Severin Carrell here has a report on the Scottish government decision to scrap its universal winter fuel payment, a decision which senior SNP figures have blamed on chancellor Rachel Reeves and the UK government. West Midlands police have issued nine images of suspects wanted in connection with disorder in Birmingham on 5 August, which saw a man being assaulted and damage being caused to a pub and a car. In a statement the police force said: We’ve made almost a dozen arrests for violence, possessing weapons and online threats as we continue to keep our communities safe amid recent unrest across the UK. We did sadly see some disorder in Bordesley Green last Monday evening (5 August) which led to a man being assaulted, damage caused to a pub and also a vehicle. We have dedicated officers working on this investigation and we’ve already arrested five people on suspicion of violent disorder, and charged another man with possession of a weapon. We continue to review all available material and are now issuing images of other suspects we’re looking to identify, as what occurred was unacceptable and can never be condoned. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds held talks with senior representatives from the TUC, CBI, Unison, Unite and the British Chambers of Commerce today over Labour’s plans for workplace reform. PA Media quotes Rayner saying: Our plan to Make Work Pay will bring together workers and businesses, both big and small and across different industries, for the good of the economy. This first-of-its-kind meeting has kicked off a new era of partnership that will bring benefits to everyone across the country striving to build a better life. For too long the valuable insights of business and trade unions have been ignored by government, even on past decisions which have directly impacted them. Business and workers will always help to shape the ambitions of government including our plan to Make Work Pay, to ensure it boosts economic growth and creates better working conditions for all. Scotland’s first minister John Swinney has posted a series of messages to social media justifying a meeting between the Scottish government’s cabinet secretary for external affairs Angus Robertson and Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK Daniela Grudsky. In the posts, Swinney said: Last week the cabinet secretary for external affairs met the Israeli UK deputy ambassador to express the Scottish government’s clear and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Scottish government received the meeting request and accepted on the basis it would provide an opportunity to convey our consistent position on the killing and suffering of innocent civilians in the region. I understand why some believe a face-to-face meeting was not appropriate, however, I thought it necessary to outline our longstanding position on an immediate ceasefire directly, and explicitly, to one of Israel’s representatives in the UK. As first minister and SNP Leader, I will never hold back in expressing support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to UK arms being sent to Israel, and the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state within a two-state solution. The SNP leader’s comments come after Green MSP Ross Greer accused the Scottish government of adopting a “two-faced approach”, with PA Media quoting Greer saying “They publicly condemn Israel’s war crimes whilst holding secret meetings with its representatives to discuss so-called ‘mutual interests.” London Southend Airport has become the latest airport to secure a high court injunction to stop environmental protesters trespassing on its land. In written submissions, Tom Roscoe, representing the airport, said: “London Southend is now the only London airport not to have an injunction against ‘persons unknown’ connected to Just Stop Oil. This is unlikely to have escaped the attention of Just Stop Oil activists and therefore exacerbates the risk faced by this airport.” No members of Just Stop Oil or any other protest group attended Wednesday’s hearing and were not represented. Granting the injunction, Mrs Justice Farbey said it was “no more than is necessary and proportionate” and that further protests could cause “significant disruption”. PA Media reports the measure will last for five years and be reviewed in 12 months. Transport secretary says ending sexual violence on public transport is "absolute priority" Labour’s transport secretary Louise Haigh has said ending sexual harassment and violence on public transport is an “absolute priority” for her, as figures revealed a 50% increase in violent incidents reported on trains in the last two years. In a message on social media, Haigh described the numbers as “appalling”, and said “I’ve already met with the British Transport Police (BTP) to discuss how we work together to end the scourge of violence against women and girls on our public transport. This is an absolute priority for me.” Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said the level of violence was “unacceptable”, telling PA Media “In this day and age, no woman should have to plan her journeys by public transport based on where and when she will feel safe, and yet that is the daily experience for millions of women.” A survey commissioned by BTP found the number of sexual harassment reports doubled to 1,908, over the two-year period from 2021 to 2023, while the number of crimes against women and girls rose from 7,561 to 11,357, and the number of sexual offences rose 10% from 2,235 to 2,475. Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of Rail Delivery Group said: “Experiences of sexual harassment are sadly a reality for many women, but as an industry our message is clear, any form of sexual harassment on the rail network is completely unacceptable and we are working with the British Transport Police to confront this problem. [We] want people to feel confident to report anything that makes them uncomfortable by texting 61016 or using the Railway Guardian app.” Head of crime and public protection at the BTP, TDCI Sarah White, said it takes “all reports seriously” and that the organisation was “working tirelessly to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour.” Conservative leadership hopeful Mel Stride has repeated his criticism of Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage, and again ruled out doing any deal with him. Appearing on GB News as part of a media day to promote his leadership bid, Stride said “Is it helpful when you’ve got police officers going out there, risking their lives in a rioting situation, to be questioning whether they’re being truthful with the public? For example, it’s likely to lead to more police officers ending up getting in more trouble than they would otherwise, so it’s not responsible.” Stride said he would not welcome Farage into the Tory party if Stride won the leadership election, saying “No deals with Nigel Farage. Nigel Farage wants to destroy the Conservative party.” All six leadership candidates – Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat – have ruled out working alongside Farage. There have been several more court cases today dealing with the repercussions of the far-right led anti-immigrant violent disorder seen in England and Northern Ireland in the last couple of weeks. Sentencing Dominic Capaldi, 34, in Bristol to 34 months, Judge Martin Picton told the court Capaldi had been involved in “the first post-Southport protest in Bristol to turn violent, but it has to be seen in the context of coordinated action on the part of extremists to cause violence, and by so doing to generate fear on the part of the community as a whole.” In one incident, Capaldi was seen throwing objects towards police officers while a crowd chanted “send them back”, and in an other he was seen throwing objects at police who were trying to prevent protesters gaining entry to a hotel used to house asylum seekers. PA Media reports Judge John Thackray KC, the Recorder of Hull, has suggested that prosecutors look “for those who are playing front and central roles” in the unrest “at the alternative charge of riot rather than violent disorder.” Violent disorder carries a maximum sentence of five years, and the maximum term for rioting is 10 years, according to sentencing guidelines. In Sheffield, a 60-year-old man who pulled a police officer to the ground and grabbed a riot shield as the officer was trying to protect another hotel housing asylum seekers, was jailed for two years and eight months. A 49-year-old man who was part of a mob that stormed a hotel housing asylum seekers during rioting in Rotherham has been jailed for three years. The Metropolitan police said more people have been charged over disorder in Whitehall on 31 July, including a 14-year-old boy. In Birmingham, a 49-year-old man has pleaded not guilty at the city’s crown court to a charge of possessing an imitation AK-47 with intent to cause members of a far-right otganisation to believe violence would be used against them, and has also denied sending a communication threatening death or serious harm in a video uploaded to Elon Musk’s X platform. Scotland’s deputy first minister has claimed “disrespectful and damaging” actions by the UK government mean a benefit to help with the cost of fuel bills cannot be paid to all pensioners. Kate Forbes said the Scottish government has been forced to limit payments because “the Chancellor announced this cut to the winter fuel payment just weeks before the Scottish parliament is due to take on responsibility for the payment – and without any consultation with the Scottish government”. PA Media reports she added: “Devolving a policy weeks after cutting its budget by almost 90% is disrespectful to everybody involved in shaping the new Scottish policy. Not only does it drive a coach and horses through the devolution settlement, it ignores the disproportionate importance of this payment to households in Scotland, who face harsher winters and higher fuel costs. She also accused Scottish Labour MPs of putting their party before the country on the issue, saying: “There is an eerie silence from Labour politicians north of the border, who would have been the first and loudest to condemn the Scottish government if the roles were reversed. It is particularly galling to hear no condemnation from Labour MPs who represent areas with the highest proportion of fuel poverty.” Are you a teacher in England? If so, our community team would like to hear from you about whether you are worried about the spread of misinformation among pupils. Find out how to get in touch here … Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, described the level of violence, harassment and sexual offences against women on public transport as “unacceptable”. She told PA Media: In this day and age, no woman should have to plan her journeys by public transport based on where and when she will feel safe, and yet that is the daily experience for millions of women, whether they are commuting to and from work, or arranging an evening out with friends. Getting on a night bus or near empty train to go home should not feel like taking your life into your hands. Whether these figures reflect an increase in reporting, an increase in the volume of crime, or a combination of the two, one thing is clear, the level of violence, harassment and sexual offences that women and girls are facing when using the transport network is completely unacceptable, and cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Foreign secretary David Lammy has been meeting in London with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud. In a message posted to social media, Lammy said “We’ll work together on shared defence, economic and security interests, including pressing for de-escalation in the region and a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.” An environmental consultant has lost a high court challenge against the government’s approval of a new gas power station in north-east England, PA Media reports. Andrew Boswell took legal action against ministers over the granting of development consent for the Net Zero Teesside Project by the former Tory government in February. He alleged that the government had failed to “adequately” explain how the power plant, which is forecast to emit millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases, will help deliver the government’s net zero goal. The project was given the green light by former energy secretary Claire Coutinho. In a written ruling on Wednesday, Mrs Justice Lieven dismissed his case, concluding that there was “no logical flaw in the reasoning” set out by ministers. Labour leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, is already talking about the 2026 Holyrood election. He has posted a video this morning on what he described as “the next steps for change”, saying: We’ve got rid of the Tories, and we’ve got straight to work, to deliver the change Scotland needs. But let’s be clear, our schools, our hospitals and our public services are still in crisis because of 17 years of SNP incompetence. In 2026, we have an opportunity to complete the next stage of change with Scottish Labour. Just after Sarwar published his video, the Scottish government were promoting one change that has come about in the last few weeks – a decision to restrict winter fuel payments to pensioners by means-testing it. In a statement, the SNP’s social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville confirmed the Scottish government will replicate a decision taken by the UK government and applying to England and Wales, and that Scotland’s pension age winter heating payment will be limited. She said “Despite all efforts to review our financial position we have been left with no choice but to follow the UK government and restrict payments to older people who receive relevant eligible benefits.” The Scottish government says there is no change to eligibility for winter heating payments for those on low incomes or to child winter heating payments. Private rents have risen 8.6% in a year according to ONS estimates A little more on those house price rises we reported on earlier. The average price for a home increased by 2.7% in the 12 months to June in the UK, but as mentioned, that is not evenly distributed. PA Media reports that in Scotland, the average property cost £192,000, up 4.3% from a year ago, and in Northern Ireland it was £185,000 between April and June, 6.4% higher than the same period a year ago. Private rents across the country jumped 8.6% in the year to July, averaging £1,319 monthly, according to the ONS’s estimates. PA Media spoke to Sarah Coles, head of personal finance for Hargreaves Lansdown, who said rent rises remain “eye-watering” and that “Landlords continue to sell up in the face of higher mortgage costs”. She added “growing tenant numbers make it harder to get hold of a property, even if you’re prepared to pay sky-high prices. It’s difficult to see how things will ever get any better.” Nathan Emerson, chief executive of Propertymark, told PA: “The rental market continues to feel the harsh reality of ongoing pressures on housing demand, which are outstripping current supply. This has a real-world effect on rental prices for consumers and that consequence is prices tend to be pushed further upwards.” Transport secretary: figures on violence against women and girls on trains "appalling" Labour’s transport secretary Louise Haigh has described as “appalling” a set of figures which show that violence against women and girls on British railways has risen by more than 50% over two years, and said reducing it is “an absolute priority”. In a post to social media, the MP for Sheffield Heeley said: These figures are appalling. Everyone should be safe on public transport. That’s why under this government, our publicly owned railways will be relentlessly held to account on safety and standards, and completely focused on the passenger. I’ve already met with the British Transport Police to discuss how we work together to end the scourge of violence against women and girls on our public transport. This is an absolute priority for me. As my colleague Geneva Abdul wrote earlier: The number of crimes against women and girls rose from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023, and the number of sexual offences rose 10% from 2,235 to 2,475, according to a survey commissioned by British Transport Police. The survey, first reported in the Times, also found the number of sexual harassment reports doubled to 1,908, over the two-year period. A British Transport Police survey released last year revealed more than a third of all women travelling by rail were likely to be assaulted while commuting – predominately during rush hour time, according to figures – and showed 51% of female victims reported that other rail passengers intervened to try to help.