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It follows a battle with Alzheimer’s Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has died aged 86 following a battle with Alzheimer’s, his family has announced. His family said he had “spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment”. The former trade union activist and ex-merchant seaman died “peacefully” and surrounded by relatives at his care home, they said. Lord Prescott was a key figure of Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour project, seen by many as custodian of the party’s traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership. He was ennobled in 2010 and introduced to the upper chamber as Baron Prescott of Kingston upon Hull having served for four decades as an MP for the city. In a statement released after his death, his wife Pauline and sons Johnathan and David said that representing the people of Hull had been “his greatest honour”. “We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Prescott, passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 86,” they said. “He did so surrounded by the love of his family and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery. “John spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment, doing so from his time as a waiter on the cruise liners to becoming Britain’s longest serving deputy prime minister. “John dearly loved his home of Hull and representing its people in Parliament for 40 years was his greatest honour. We would like to thank the amazing NHS doctors and nurses who cared for him after his stroke in 2019 and the dedicated staff at the care home where he passed away after latterly living with Alzheimer’s. “In lieu of flowers and if you wish to do so, you can donate to Alzheimer’s Research UK. “As you can imagine, our family needs to process our grief so we respectfully request time and space to mourn in private. Thank you.” Lord Prescott ceased to be a member of the upper House in July this year after facing health difficulties. He had only spoken once in the chamber since suffering a stroke in 2019, official records show, and had not voted since February 2023. Over a parliamentary career spanning more than half a century, Lord Prescott served for 10 years as deputy prime minister after Labour’s 1997 general election landslide. At times short-tempered, he once famously punched a protester who threw an egg at him during an election campaign visit to North Wales in 2001. But during much of his time in office, he acted as a mediator in the often turbulent relationship between Sir Tony and chancellor Gordon Brown. He also oversaw the environment, transport and the regions, a brief which included helping to negotiate the international Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Lord Prescott was a loyal supporter of Sir Tony in office but subsequently critical of parts of New Labour’s legacy, denouncing Britain’s involvement in the Iraq War. He also strongly defended Jeremy Corbyn during his time as party leader in the face of fierce criticism. Born in Prestatyn in Wales on May 31 1938 the son of a railwayman, Lord Prescott left school at the age of 15 to work as a trainee chef and then as a steward on the Cunard Line before entering politics. In a private letter in 2007, Sir Tony said his former deputy’s role “smoothing out problems, sorting out colleagues and trouble-shooting” had been an “integral part of getting things done”. The former prime minister said: “The completely unique Prescott blend of charm and brutality – made always more effective by the unpredictability of which would be predominant – got you through the decade, kept the government together and above all, gave me a lot of fun. I was lucky to have you as my deputy.” Published: 21/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub

More than a third of online shoppers – almost 15 million people – experienced a problem with a parcel delivery in the last month, according to an annual Citizens Advice study. Just before a Black Friday and Christmas shopping surge, the charity said its survey revealed a “worrying trend” of worsening customer service among delivery firms. While Royal Mail and Amazon both achieved an overall score of three out of five stars, standards continued to slip in areas including customer service. Four out of the five firms included in the study – Royal Mail, Amazon, Yodel and Evri – saw their customer service scores drop from last year, while DPD’s score remained the same. The Citizens Advice parcels league table looks at the top five delivery companies by parcel volume and measures their performance against customer service, delivery problems and how well they meet the needs of consumers who have extra accessibility needs, such as needing longer to answer the door. Its survey suggests 36% of all online shoppers in the UK experienced a delivery issue in the last month, such as parcels left in insecure locations and arriving late. The worst offenders were Yodel (42%), DPD (40%) and Evri (37%), according to the poll. Of those who experienced a problem with their delivery, 48% had a further issue trying to resolve it – the highest level for three years – including not being able to find the right company contact details or not receiving a response. All providers except DPD saw their score on customer service decline in the last year. Citizens Advice called on Ofcom to investigate carriers whose complaints processes were failing consumers, and fine them if necessary. It also wants the regulator to expand its guidance to make sure people with accessibility needs are able to share them with parcel companies. Citizens Advice chief executive Clare Moriarty said: “For four years in a row, our parcels league table shows that when it comes to customer service, poor performing parcel companies are clearly stuck in transit. “Worrying numbers of people face having to chase lost, late or damaged parcels and those with accessibility needs are continuing to be overlooked by firms. “With a seasonal surge of deliveries on the horizon, parcel companies must do more to protect shoppers. Ultimately we need Ofcom to get to the root cause of these persistent failings and, where necessary, fine the worst offenders if they fail to up their game.” An Amazon spokesman said: “Every day at Amazon, incredible employees and independent delivery partners come together to provide fast, reliable and safe delivery for our customers. The vast majority of deliveries make it to customers without issue. In the rare case something occurs, we work with customers directly to make it right.” A Yodel spokesman said: “The overwhelming majority of the 200 million parcels we handled over the last 12 months were delivered correctly on the first attempt and we actively encourage and welcome all customers to provide feedback on every one of our deliveries. “Our ‘Have Your Say’ feedback survey encourages all customers to review their delivery. In the last 12 months we have received over 5.5 million responses and 86% of our customers have had a positive experience. “We have also made specific improvements to the accessibility of our services, including options for customers to divert deliveries and share any specific requirements with us via the Yodel app.” A spokeswoman for Evri said: “This year we will deliver around 800 million parcels, including millions for Amazon. We have invested £32 million to further improve our own operations, with over 99% of parcels delivered on time, and to make it easier for consumers to contact us we have opened up new ways to get in touch online and by phone. “We are committed to instilling a culture where every parcel matters and we know there is more to do. That’s why we’ve launched a partnership with disability equality charity Scope, to help disabled people and ultimately all of our customers have a better parcel delivery experience. ” Royal Mail said: “Since last year we have led the industry by providing customers with options to register their accessibility needs. This includes requesting posties ‘knock louder’ or take more time when waiting for a customer to come to the door. “We are working hard to further improve our service and have continued to introduce more convenient options for customers, such as automatic redelivery and safe place delivery preferences. We also have a robust, accessible complaints process in place with avenues to escalate to impartial bodies.” DPD said: “We don’t recognise the findings from this survey at all and have raised significant concerns about the methodology, directly with Citizens Advice. “In contrast, a recent survey from consumer group Which? gave DPD an 88% customer satisfaction score, while DPD topped the Money Saving Expert parcel delivery customer satisfaction poll for the ninth time in 2024.” Opinium Research surveyed 8,011 UK adults who had received a parcel in the last month from Royal Mail, DPD, Yodel, Amazon Logistics or Evri between September 13 and October 11. Published: 21/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub

He announced last week that he’d be quitting his role as Archbishop of Canterbury Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will finish his official duties in early January, as he steps down in the face of criticism over an abuse scandal within the Church of England. Mr Welby announced last week – after days of mounting pressure over failures in his handling of the case of prolific abuser John Smyth – that he would be quitting his leading role in the Church. Lambeth Palace has said he intends to complete official duties by January 6, and is likely to have “very little public-facing activity” between now and that date. In a statement on Wednesday, Lambeth Palace said: “Following the announcement last week of his resignation as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin intends to complete his official duties by the upcoming Feast of Epiphany (January 6). “Archbishop Justin intends very little public-facing activity between now and Epiphany, but plans to honour a small number of remaining commitments. “At Epiphany, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official functions will be delegated to the Archbishop of York – more details will be provided on this in due course. “The date on which Archbishop Justin formally ceases to hold office will be set in agreement with the Privy Council.” Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is the second-most senior bishop in the Church of England. Earlier this week, Mr Cottrell acknowledged he is “the person that people will look to” over the coming months, as the Church seeks to replace Mr Welby, but appeared to rule himself out of the running. At the age of 66, Mr Cottrell is nearing the Church of England retirement age of 70, and he told the Guardian newspaper: “We need someone who can give at least five years, probably more like 10. So I don’t consider myself to be a candidate. “That doesn’t change my commitment over the coming years and I realise that for this next period I am the person that people will look to.” At the time of announcing his resignation, Mr Welby said he was quitting “in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse” following days of pressure after the independent review concluded Smyth – the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church – might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported him to police in 2013. He had initially declined to resign when the report was published, saying he had “no idea or suspicion of this abuse” before 2013 but acknowledging the review had found that after its wider exposure that year he had “personally failed to ensure” it was “energetically investigated”. Across five decades in three different countries and involving as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa, John Smyth is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives. He died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and was “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the independent Makin Review said. The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) is responsible for appointing the next archbishop, examining candidates, holding interviews and eventually putting forward a name to the Prime Minister, who then passes it to the King. It is expected the process, which begins with a period of consultation, will likely take some months. Published: 20/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Wreckage from one of the long-range weapons has reportedly been found in Russia’s Kursk region Storm Shadow missiles supplied to Ukraine by Britain have been used in Russia, according to reports. Wreckage from one of the long-range weapons has been found in Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, several media outlets have said. Storm Shadow’s use in Russia comes a day after Moscow said American long-range weapons had been fired into its territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, after US President Joe Biden gave Kyiv permission to fire US ATACMS long-range missiles into Russia. Downing Street would not comment on the reports. Number 10 has previously refused to comment on any changes in policy about allowing Kyiv to use long-range missiles in Russia. In the House of Commons, shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge raised a point of order, asking whether ministers were expected to make a statement on the reports. Defence Secretary John Healey had earlier told MPs he had spoken with his counterpart in Kyiv on Tuesday where they discussed the UK’s plan to support Ukraine. Mr Healey told the Commons on Wednesday: “We’ve seen over recent weeks significant change in the action and in the rhetoric on Ukraine, and Ukraine’s action on the battlefield speaks for itself. “We as a nation and as a Government are doubling down on our support for Ukraine and determined to do more. I discussed this with (Ukrainian) minister (Rustem) Umerov in a call yesterday where he talked about the robust response that Ukraine is making to recent Russian escalations.” Earlier on Wednesday, the US closed its embassy in Kyiv because of a “potential significant air attack” by Mr Putin’s forces. Britain’s mission to Ukraine remains open, but the Foreign Office said the safety of staff and British nationals is of “paramount” importance and the posture and travel advice will be kept under review. The embassy in Kyiv has been operating a limited diplomatic function in recent months and not providing in-person consular assistance. Published: 20/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub

The Defence Secretary is blaming the cuts on the ‘dire inheritance’ left by the Tories Two former Royal Navy flagships, a frigate and a pair of support tankers will be decommissioned in cost-saving measures announced by Defence Secretary John Healey. The savings, which Mr Healey blamed on the “dire inheritance” left by the Tories, will see assault ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, which have both been flagships, decommissioned. Ageing Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland is beyond economic repair and will be decommissioned along with two Wave class tankers. The Army’s Watchkeeper drones, which cost around £5 million each and have been in service for a decade but have been beset by problems and are effectively obsolete, will be grounded. Helicopters will also be affected by the cuts, with the 14 oldest Chinook transport aircraft removed early from service and Puma’s lifespan not being extended beyond March 2025. Mr Healey acknowledged the cuts came at a time of “war in Europe, growing Russian aggression, conflict in the Middle East and technology changing the nature of warfare” but said that showed the need for “increased resilience and readiness for the future”. In a statement to MPs, Mr Healey warned that further cuts could be required but insisted he had the support of armed forces chiefs for the decisions he had made. He said: “For too long our soldiers, sailors, aviators have been stuck with old, outdated equipment because ministers wouldn’t make the difficult decommissioning decisions. “As technology advances at pace, we must move faster towards the future. So today, with full backing from our service chiefs, I can confirm that six outdated military capabilities will be taken out of services. “These decisions are set to save the MoD £150 million over the next two years and up to £500 million over five years, savings that will be retained in full in defence.” Mr Healey said he was dealing with a “dire inheritance, the state of the finances and the state of the forces often hidden to Parliament, billion pound black holes in defence plans, taxpayers’ funds being wasted, military morale down to record lows”. The “common sense decisions” announced by the Defence Secretary may not be the last cuts announced. The Government is carrying out a strategic defence review, which will set out the path to spending 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence – although no timetable has yet been set out for that spending commitment. Mr Healey said: “These will not be the last difficult decisions I will have to make to fix the defence inheritance we were left with, but they will help get a grip of finances now and they will give greater scope to renew our forces for the future as we look towards the strategic defence review and to 2.5%.” Albion and Bulwark were designed to allow Royal Marines to launch amphibious raids, but they were already effectively mothballed at a cost of £9 million a year. Mr Healey said: “On current planning, neither was due to go to sea again before their planned out-of-service dates of 2033 and 2034.” But in the Commons, Tories raised concerns about the impact of the decision on the Marines, and former defence committee chairman Sir Julian Lewis warned the absence of the assault ships could encourage an enemy “to try something like the Falklands in the future”. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the cuts meant “scrapping key defence capabilities and weakening our national security”. Mr Healey said the Commando force will continue to be supported by three Bay Class auxiliary landing ship docks and RFA Argus. The other vessels to be scrapped include RFA Wave Knight and Wave Ruler, which will be retired in March and have not been to sea since 2017 and 2022 respectively. HMS Northumberland will also go out of service in March 2025, as structural damage makes her “uneconomical to repair”. The Watchkeeper drones will be retired from March, as Mr Healey said technology has advanced at a “rapid rate” since they were introduced in 2010 and the Army will “rapidly switch to a new advanced capability”. The fourteen oldest Chinooks will be “accelerated” out of service, and modern variants used by the Royal Air Force from 2027, while the Pumas will be replaced by the H-145 from 2026. Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the Royal United Services Institute defence think tank, said the cuts mainly affected equipment that was approaching retirement and Watchkeeper was “probably obsolete”. “But the fact that defence either can’t crew them, or is prepared to cut them to make very modest savings over five years in the current international environment, is an indication of just how tight resources must be in the MoD right now,” he added. Published: 20/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Payne died last month at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony Cheryl Tweedy and members of One Direction were among the friends and family to pay their final respects to Liam Payne at his funeral. Singers Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson reunited alongside other mourners at the private funeral in Buckinghamshire to remember Payne following his death aged 31 in Argentina last month. Girls Aloud star Tweedy, who was in a relationship with Payne between 2016 and 2018, was seen leaving the service at St Mary’s Church in Amersham wearing a black coat and black sunglasses. Music mogul Simon Cowell was seen embracing Payne’s father Geoff and mother Karen as they left the church. A horse-drawn carriage carried the dark blue coffin with silver handles and topped with white roses to the service. On top of the carriage, there was a red floral tribute which said “son” and a blue tribute which said “daddy”. Following the service, his coffin was carried outside and placed inside a black Jaguar hearse. Pop star Styles, dressed in all black, arrived at the service in a BMW alongside TV star James Corden, while X Factor judge Cowell arrived with his fiancee, Lauren Silverman. Horan attended alongside his girlfriend Amelia Woolley, while Malik arrived to the church shortly after Tomlinson. Other guests attending include Payne’s girlfriend, US influencer Kate Cassidy, who arrived alongside Damian Hurley, the son of model Elizabeth Hurley. Girls Aloud singers Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, who wore long black coats and sunglasses, also supported their bandmate Tweedy by attending the service. Prior to the funeral starting, dozens of locals and fans gathered to pay their final respects to Payne, who died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Fans around the world held vigils in his memory following his death, while a shrine to the late star was created in his hometown of Wolverhampton. He died of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage”, a post-mortem examination report said. He rose to fame alongside Styles, Tomlinson, Malik and Horan when Cowell put them together to form One Direction on ITV talent show The X Factor in 2010. Payne later went on to launch a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid and Strip That Down featuring Quavo. Published: 20/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Almost 23,000 young people could face homelessness this Christmas across England, a youth charity has predicted. The South East, London and the West Midlands are expected to have the highest numbers of 16-24 year-olds enduring this challenge during the winter period, according to Centrepoint. The charity used its youth homelessness databank, which has been collecting such information and tracking the trends since 2017, to forecast its estimate of 22,800 young people between October and December presenting as or at risk of homeless. Regional breakdowns estimated 4,200 could need help from local authorities in the South East, 2,500 in London and 3,300 in the West Midlands. The predictions for England are lower than last year’s estimate of around 24,400 young people, and the 29,500 estimate for winter 2022. Centrepoint said the true numbers can often be higher due to so-called hidden homelessness such as sofa-surfing by people who do not present to local authorities as needing accommodation. The charity also carried out a small survey of 120 people living in Centrepoint services this summer, and found two thirds (66%) felt anxious for their safety because they had nowhere to stay at Christmas. The charity said its snow globe installation on London’s South Bank is intended to be a “powerful” reminder of the struggles homeless young people face. Doctor Helen Miles, a consultant clinical psychologist who works with the charity, said: “Experiencing homelessness at any age can have a huge and long-lasting impact on a person’s physical and mental health, but young people are particularly vulnerable. “The trauma and instability of not having a safe home, family or network to turn to can severely affect a young person’s sense of physical and emotional safety, which can impact on their ability to engage in life opportunities, critical at this age in order to reach their full potential in the future. “Our snow globe installation on South Bank is a powerful visual representation of some of the hidden struggles homeless young people face, and how important the right support is in enabling them to move on from homelessness for good. “Every young person deserves to feel physically and emotionally safe, valued, and hopeful, not just at Christmas, but every day of the year. We hope this installation will inspire greater understanding and action from the wider community.” Adam Hug, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said councils are “doing their best to meet their duties to vulnerable young people at a time when they are under mounting pressure to find suitable homes for an ever-increasing number of people”. He added: “The chronic shortage of suitable housing across the country means that councils are increasingly having to turn to alternative options for accommodation at a significant cost – there are currently 113,000 households living in temporary accommodation, at a cost to councils of £1.75 billion a year. “In order to effectively reduce homelessness and tackle housing waiting lists, councils need the powers and resources to build more of the genuinely affordable homes our communities desperately need.” A Government spokesperson described the predicted figures as “simply unacceptable” and said they had “inherited record levels of homelessness which is having a devastating impact on young people”. They added: “This has to change – which is why we are taking urgent action to end homelessness for good. “We have introduced an emergency £10 million fund to protect rough sleepers from the cold this winter and in the Budget announced an additional £233 million for homelessness services, taking total spending to nearly £1 billion in 2025-26.”   Published: 20/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub

A majority of Muslims feel Islamophobia and hate against them has become more widespread since the summer riots, but around half also feel able to be more open about their identity, according to a survey. Tell Mama, a charity monitoring such incidents, said its latest survey indicated that one in two of those asked said they had become more open, mainly through conversations with friends and colleagues, about their Muslim identity after the violence which erupted following the Southport attack. The organisation analysed, as part of the annual No2H8 campaign, the opinions of 750 Muslims across the UK eight weeks after disorder broke out in parts of England and Northern Ireland following the fatal stabbings of three young girls in Southport. Tell Mama said just under three-quarters (71%) felt anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia had become more widespread since the unrest. Almost two-thirds (62%) said the potential risk of harm to Muslim communities had since increased significantly or somewhat. While one in three Muslims surveyed said they had considered leaving the UK as a result of the violence – which saw mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers targeted – 55% said they felt safe or very safe in the UK. Iman Atta, Tell Mama director, said: “Many British Muslims are very scared at the moment. They need our Government to show it hears their fears, and is working to keep them safe. “This poll is proof of the terrifying impact anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia is having. “More work must be done to reassure these people. And we need greater focus on supporting social cohesion in the worst affected areas. These findings should be a wake-up call for the Government.” A Government spokesperson said: “These results are extremely concerning. Attacks and hatred against Muslim communities are unacceptable and we have been clear that we will seek to stamp out Islamophobia and racism wherever it occurs. “All communities must feel safe, especially in places of worship, which is why we introduced the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and will continue to work with communities and across government to deliver a new approach to tackling racial and religious hatred.” – Survation contacted 750 adult members of Muslim communities in the UK online or by phone between September 30 and October 14. Published: 20/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub