Sadiq Khan has been accused of refusing to "take responsibility" over the policing of the Sarah Everard vigil after a report into the event found the Met Police had not acted inappropriately.
A review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), led by Sir Thomas Winsor, into the handling by the police of a vigil at Clapham Common in memory of Ms Everard found officers "did not act inappropriately or in a heavy-handed manner".
The review, which was commissioned by Home Secretary Priti Patel, also found the force was "justified" in taking the view the risks of Covid-19 transmission were "too great to ignore". Matt Parr, Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, who led the inspection team, said condemnation of the Met's actions was "unwarranted", but accepted "there are some things the Met could have done better".
However Shaun Bailey, the Tory candidate for Mayor of London, said the Mayor of London had "serious questions" to answer over his response to the policing of the vigil. Mr Bailey said Mr Khan "immediately" threw "the police under a bus without knowing the full story behind the events" and also asked why he refused "to take responsibility for the event and policing at Clapham Common, despite being in charge of policing in London?"
Mr Khan has "accepted" the results of the report, but conceded it was "clear that trust and confidence of women and girls in the police and criminal justice system is far from adequate".
03:03 PM
That's all for today
Thanks for joining us today. Despite Parliament being in recess, it's still been as busy as ever in Westminster. There have been defectors, mayoral battles and an emotive response from the Met Police Federation off the back of the review into the policing of the Sarah Everard vigil. Except more to come from that over the coming days. Until tomorrow ...
02:57 PM
Sadiq Khan pledges to invest millions in London retail sector if re-elected
The London Mayor said the safe reopening of London is "key" to the future success of both the capital and the UK.
He said if re-elected he will "invest millions in our hard-hit retail, hospitality and cultural venues as we move to recover from this pandemic".
The safe reopening of central London is key to the future success of our city and country.
That's why I've announced plans, if re-elected, to invest millions in our hard-hit retail, hospitality and cultural venues as we move to recover from this pandemic.https://t.co/76jQFm9I5k
Paul Williams 'worked on the front line during pandemic'
Sir Keir has been in Hartlepool's nuclear power station today, run by energy giant EDF, which he said was "a business that provides the best part of 700 well-paid skilled jobs in the local community".
He also faced questions about the selection of doctor and former MP Paul Williams as the party's candidate for the seat after he was the only person on the shortlist.
Sir Keir said Dr William "a man who worked on the front line in the NHS over the period of the last year during the pandemic".
The Hartlepool by-election will be a key test of Sir Keir's leadership.
The May 6 contest will give an indication of whether the Labour leader can shore up support in the party's former industrial heartlands after large sections of the so-called "red wall" crumbled in the 2019 general election.
Hartlepool is a seat long held by Labour and the party fought off a strong Conservative and Brexit Party challenge at the 2019 general election, although their majority was reduced to just under 3,600, down from 7,650 in 2017.
Dr Williams tweeted a photo of himself with the Labour leader:
Fantastic visit with Keir Starmer to Hartlepool power station today talking about how vital the good jobs here are to the town pic.twitter.com/vd27ovz7qn
Labour leader apologies after MP called business 'the enemy'
Sir Keir Starmer said a senior Labour MP has apologised after describing business as "the enemy".
The Labour leader said Alex Sobel, a member of his shadow ministerial team, "knows what he said was wrong".
Sir Keir stressed that under his leadership, Labour was "very clearly pro-business".
It comes after the shadow tourism minister made the comments while speaking about his work with businesses to tackle climate change.
He said: "When I first became an MP, I was like, I am not taking meetings with any of these people.
"These people are the enemy, you know.
"I'm a socialist, my job is to effectively transform society so that we have a much more mixed economy and we don't have huge global corporations which have all this power."
Sir Keir, on a campaign visit to Hartlepool ahead of the May 6 by-election, told reporters "Alex Sobel knows what he said was wrong.
"He has apologised.
"He's apologised to me.
"The Labour Party, under my leadership, is very clearly pro-business.
"We want a partnership with business.
"And Alex Sobel understands that."
02:22 PM
Boris Johnson holds talks with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia ahead of COP26
A Downing Street spokesman confirmed that the two leaders spoke to "reaffirm the strong partnership between the UK and Indonesia on climate, trade and international diplomacy".
"They discussed the opportunities for collaboration to tackle climate change and protect nature, and the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of setting ambitious 2030 targets to reduce emissions."
The spokesman added that they confirmed their commitment to boost trade and investment and to support a sustainable recovery from COVID-19.
The Prime Minister also noted the UK’s interest in working more closely with ASEAN on a range of international issues.
02:11 PM
' SNP in present state is unreformable', Alba defectors say
In a statement, the three (below post) said they had campaigned within the party for left-wing policies and railed against what it said was a drift to the right on economic issues and a stifling of internal democracy.
They said: "Regrettably, we have concluded that the SNP in its present state is unreformable. We therefore have decided to resign our membership of the party and seek to build a left-wing, progressive wing of the independence movement elsewhere. Specifically, we as individuals have decided to seek membership of the new Alba Party.
We do not take this step lightly. New, mass political parties are difficult to create successfully.
"Parties based only on the charisma of individual leaders are fragile and often lack internal democracy.
"New parties need to stake out a stable, popular constituency or they will be blown with every ideological wind. Forging a stable identity requires time for any new political organisation."
Mr Salmond welcomed the defectors, saying: "George, Craig and the other members of the Common Weal Group bring with them a wealth of positive, progressive ideas."
It is unclear if Mr Kerevan plans to stand as a candidate or seek an internal position within the party.
02:08 PM
George Kerevan becomes latest defector to join Alba
Former SNP MP George Kerevan has become the latest high profile figure to defect to Alex Salmond's new party.
Mr Kerevan left the party with other members of a group modelled on the think tank, Common Weal.
Mr Kerevan is now the third current or former MP to move across from the SNP to Alba, which was launched on Friday (see post 10.05)
The former East Lothian MP joins Neale Hanvey and Kenny MacAskill, who both still sit at Westminster.
Along with the founder of the Common Weal Group (CWG) in the SNP, Craig Berry, and central Scotland coordinator, Lynne Anderson, Mr Kerevan announced on Tuesday they would be joining Alba, describing the new party as a "cause for hope".
01:43 PM
Met Police Federation accuse MPs of behaving like 'armchair critics'
Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said that the report's outcome came "as no surprise", as he accused "armchair critics on their Saturday night sofas" making policing an "incredibly harder".
He said: "The knee-jerk commentary from politicians of all parties – who as the report states were reacting to a snapshot on social media rather than the facts - has made the already difficult job of our colleagues in London incredibly harder. And more dangerous. And for that these people should be ashamed."
Mr Marsh added that "this was outrageous behaviour from those who should know better and we trust as elected officials and we now call on these politicians to make themselves accountable and to apologise to our hard-working colleagues for the damage they have done”.
He added: “The thoughts of the Metropolitan Police Federation remain with the family and friends of Sarah Everard.”
01:32 PM
Home Office responds to vigil report
A spokesman for the department said that Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, was studying the report's "findings closely".
“She is grateful to Sir Thomas Winsor, HMI Matt Parr and their team for conducting this review at speed," they said.
“She recognises that the police have done a difficult job throughout the pandemic and is grateful for their tireless work.”
01:27 PM
Met Police 'even more determined to tackle violence against women and girls'
In response to HMICFRS inspection of policing the Sarah Everard vigil, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “We are outraged at Sarah’s death which has left us even more determined to tackle violence against women and girls.
“This report makes clear the difficult circumstances officers faced as a peaceful vigil became a hostile rally. We must always be consistent in our policing of public events."
She praised the "restraint, compassion and professionalism officers showed during a fast-moving and challenging situation".
“They spent considerable time engaging, explaining and encouraging before considering any enforcement action," she added, stating that officers "acted thoughtfully, sensibly and proportionately".
“We welcome the considered scrutiny of this event which highlights how a snapshot may not represent the full context of the challenges police face," she said.
12:51 PM
London Mayor warns of 'mass unemployment' wave
London mayor Sadiq Khan has warned of a wave of "mass unemployment" when the furlough scheme ends in September without action to protect jobs.
Speaking at a campaign event in Westminster, Mr Khan said his focus would be on "jobs, jobs, jobs" if he was re-elected for a second term in the delayed elections on May 6.
He set out plans for a £32 million fund to establish four new skills academies to train Londoners for work in growth areas in the creative, digital, low carbon and health and social care sectors.
"My concern as somebody who lived through the 1980s is we could have another period of mass unemployment where a generation is written off," he said.
The Prime Minister has been discussing the subject today after his Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was on his media round this morning.
Our Plan for Growth sets our path to invest in infrastructure, skills and innovation so we can level up opportunity and prosperity across the country.
Ursula von der Leyen refused to add her name to world leaders' pandemic plea
Divisions over the EU’s vaccination crisis have been laid bare after Ursula von der Leyen refused to sign up to a call by more than 20 world leaders for a new global pandemics plan, reports Europe Editor James Crisp.
Other leaders of EU countries, including Mario Draghi of Italy, Pedro Sanchez of Spain, Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, as well as the leaders of Greece, Romania and Portugal, put their names to the call to prevent “isolationism and nationalism” when facing pandemics.
Reclaim These Streets: 'Report demonstrates institutional sexism at Scotland Yard'
Reclaim These Streets, the original organisers of the vigil for Sarah Everard, said the report from HMICFRS was "disappointing" and demonstrated "institutional sexism running through the force".
The organisers had cancelled the official gathering after talks with Scotland Yard to hold a Covid-secure event broke down.
ICYMI: Highlights from first press conference in new briefing room
Here is the best of Boris Jonhson's debut at Downing Street's new press briefing room from Monday night.
11:52 AM
Khan: 'Clear trust of women in police is far from adequate'
London Mayor Sadiq Khan accepted the results of the watchdog's report but said it was "clear that trust and confidence of women and girls in the police and criminal justice system is far from adequate".
He said: "The tragic abduction and death of Sarah Everard has rightly caused huge anger and my thoughts and prayers remain with her family and loved ones.
"I completely understand why women, girls and allies wanted to hold a vigil to remember Sarah at Clapham Common and show solidarity with all women who have been subjected to violence at the hands of men.
"While I do not have operational control over the police, I called for the Government and MPS to find a way to allow the vigil to happen legally and safely in advance of Saturday 13 March, and was provided with assurances that the MPS would police it sensitively.
"It is my job to stand up on behalf of Londoners and ensure that there is effective scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police - particularly in the light of such widespread public dismay.
"I accept the HMICFRS report, but it is clear that trust and confidence of women and girls in the police and criminal justice system is far from adequate. The events of the weekend of 13/14 March have done further damage to this and show that much more needs to be done."
11:44 AM
Haircuts in Scotland from Monday, Sturgeon confirms
Further easing of restrictions in Scotland will go ahead from Monday, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
Barbers and hairdressers will be allowed to reopen, along with more freedoms for non-essential retail and an increase in students in college returning to in-person teaching for practical subjects.
The First Minister announced the change earlier this month, but confirmed it would go ahead at the coronavirus briefing on Tuesday.
Shops will be allowed to open for click and collect services, along with homeware shops and garden centres.
The First Minister added: "We don't want big crowds at these stores, so although they open from Monday, think about whether you really need to visit on Monday or if you're able to wait until later in the week."
11:39 AM
Scotland Yard cleared over Sarah Everard vigil policing
A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), concluded that the force had acted appropriately when it broke up the gathering earlier this month.
Scotland Yard came in for intense criticism over its handling of the vigil, with some even calling for Dame Cressida Dick, the Met Commissioner, to resign.
But Matt Parr, the inspector, who carried out the review, at the behest of Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said much of the criticism had been unwarranted and showed a lack of respect to the police.
UK’s fourth Covid vaccine could be ready in 4 weeks
According to Professor Paul Heath, chief investigator for the Novavax jab trial in the UK, Britain could get a fourth Covid-19 vaccine within as little as a month.
Professor Heath said that if the jab is approved by regulators it would help keep up the “momentum” in the nation’s vaccine roll-out.
He told the Evening Standard: “The regulator will do a very detailed and thorough review and will decide in good time. I would hope it would be in the spring, possibly end of April.”
11:09 AM
Sadiq Khan has 'serious questions' to answer about Sarah Everard vigil
Shaun Bailey, the Tory candidate for Mayor of London, said Sadiq Khan had "serious questions" to answer over his response to the policing of the Sarah Everard vigil.
Mr Bailey said: "This independent report makes it clear that the mayor has a number of questions to answer.
"First of all, why did he immediately throw the police under a bus without knowing the full story behind the events?
"Why did he refuse to take responsibility for the event and policing at Clapham Common, despite being in charge of policing in London?
"And how will he address these failings in the coming weeks and months?
"These are serious questions. And I don't believe the mayor can answer them."
10:54 AM
Met 'could have done better' over 'some things' while policing Vigil
Matt Parr, Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, who led the inspection team, said condemnation of the Met's actions was "unwarranted".
He said: "Amidst a heightened public debate on women's safety, and during an unprecedented pandemic, the Metropolitan Police faced a complex and sensitive policing challenge at Clapham Common.
"Condemnation of the Met's actions within mere hours of the vigil - including from people in positions of responsibility - was unwarranted, showed a lack of respect for public servants facing a complex situation, and undermined public confidence in policing based on very limited evidence.
"After reviewing a huge body of evidence - rather than a snapshot on social media - we found that there are some things the Met could have done better, but we saw nothing to suggest police officers acted in anything but a measured and proportionate way in challenging circumstances.
"A minute's silence was held for Sarah at 6pm, after which a peaceful and sombre vigil turned into something else - a rally with dense crowds and little or no social distancing.
"We concluded that the Met was right to recognise the need to be seen to be consistent in its policing of all events and gatherings. They were, therefore, right to enforce the regulations - having gone to some lengths to persuade people to disperse."
10:49 AM
Review into Sarah Everard vigil finds police did not act' inappropriately'
A review into the handling by the Metropolitan Police of a vigil in memory of Sarah Everard has found officers "did not act inappropriately or in a heavy-handed manner".
The review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), led by Sir Thomas Winsor, also found the force was "justified" in taking the view the risks of Covid-19 transmission were "too great to ignore".
Sir Thomas, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said: "Public confidence in the police is critical. It is therefore important that there has been an independent, objective, evidence-based inspection to provide public reassurance, which we provide today.
"Our civilian police model is precious. Officers are our fellow citizens, invested by the community to keep the community safe. They rely upon and are entitled to receive public support when they act lawfully, sensitively and proportionately; in this case, in the face of severe provocation and in very difficult circumstances, they did just that."
10:10 AM
Blue skies and red buses
Readers will remember that The Telegraph broke the Laurence Fox running for mayor story back in February. The piece is here
As part of his campaign he pledges to:
- Fight extreme political correctness
- offer a voice to those who are being dominated into silence
- If elected in May he will fight to lift lockdown straight away, rather than waiting until June
Christopher Hope, who broke the story, is out with Mr Fox at the launch today.
Here he is in Westminster, posing on a red bus under blue skies:
Laurence Fox launches campaign to become London Mayor
"I'm a single father and an actor," he says. "Well, I was an actor".
The Telegraph's Michael Deacon is at the scene:
Laurence Fox is launching his campaign to be Mayor of London. "I'm a single father and an actor," he says. "Well, I was an actor" pic.twitter.com/yhVEtHAKM8
Boris Johnson welcomes Sir Lenny Henry's intervention on vaccine hesitancy
Boris Johnson has welcomed an intervention by comedian Sir Lenny Henry and other senior figures, urging black Britons to take the Covid vaccine.
The rate for people in the black African group receiving a first vaccine dose was estimated to be 58.8 per cent - the lowest among all ethnic minority groups, according to the Office for National Statitics. The estimated rate for people identifying as white British was 91.3 per cent.
The long-time campaigner was joined by film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton, author Malorie Blackman and radio DJ Trevor Nelson, acknowlegding concerns but urging people to "trust the facts about the vaccine from our own professors, doctors, scientists involved in the vaccine's development, GPs, not just in the UK but across the world including the Caribbean and Africa".
The vaccine is our best route out of this pandemic and we must all do our part by taking the vaccine when it is offered to us.
Deaths involving Covid-19 among people aged 80 and over have now fallen by 90 per cent since the second-wave peak, the latest ONS figures suggest.
A total of 536 Covid-19 deaths in the 80 and over age group occurred in England and Wales in the week ending March 12, down from 5,349 deaths in the week ending January 22.
Deaths for those aged 75-79 dropped 88 per cent in the same period, compared with falls of 87 per cent for those aged 70-74 and 83 per cent for both those aged 65-69 and 60-64.
Deaths that occurred in the most recent week of reporting - the week to March 19 - are still being registered.
09:05 AM
Alex Salmond 'can't bear not to be on stage', says Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon has said Alex Salmond is only standing for Holyrood because he "loves the limelight and can't bear not to be on stage".
Her former mentor and predecessor launched the Alba party last week, running only on regional lists and looking to secure a "supermajority" in support of independence.
In an interview with the Daily Record, the First Minister said: "He will be telling himself he is somehow advancing the independence cause but I think he is standing because he loves the limelight and can't bear not to be on the stage."
Ms Sturgeon said she believes Mr Salmond could in fact "hinder" the case for independence.
"One, people don't like the idea that you are trying to game an electoral system but, secondly, once you start doing that you are effectively gambling with the outcome of the election and it could quite easily backfire and undermine the ability to get that majority that then provides the foundation for an independence referendum."
08:58 AM
Sketch: No 10's media room cost taxpayers £2.6m. So why does it look so cheap?
Boris Johnson was speaking in an expensive new setting... but first impressions weren’t good - PA
Compared with the colossal sums spent by the Government during the pandemic as a whole, of course, it’s a drop in the ocean, writes Michael Deacon.
Even so, as Boris Johnson hosted this latest Downing Street news conference, it was hard to help wondering: how on earth did they manage to blow £2.6million on that new media room? And how could something so expensive look so cheap?This was the first time the room had been put to use, and the immediate effect was disorienting. The new room had none of the sophistication, elegance or sense of history the old room had. In fact, you might not have guessed it was in Downing Street at all.Especially because of the awkward visual clash between the glowing electric blue of the backdrop, the chocolate-brown wood of the lecterns, and the enormous Union flags standing either side of the Prime Minister. It was as if a courtroom had been repurposed as the set of an extremely patriotic ITV game show, or the Glasgow Rangers club shop.
A total of 963 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending March 19 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - the lowest number since the week ending October 16.
The figure is down 36 per cent on the previous week's total.
Around one in 11 (9.3 per cent) of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to March 19 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.
08:34 AM
Parents and Government have shared responsibility on sex culture, says minister
Kwasi Kwarteng has said there was a "duty for parents to make sure that their children are keeping the law".
The Business Secretary told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I think there is a responsibility for Government which we're taking very seriously, there's also a responsibility for the schools, teachers and parents and as Sir Michael Wilshaw (former Ofsted head) said these are... deeply to do with the culture. "
We all have a responsibility not just in Government but also as parents and as teachers and also members of the community to make sure that people treat each other with respect and this kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable."
He added: "I think there's a duty for parents to make sure that their children are keeping the law. I think if a child is doing really bad things, heinous acts, then there's a responsibility to report that, I think that's something that people as citizens should be encouraged to do."
08:16 AM
UK will help cooperate on vaccines - but not until every British adult is safe
Kwasi Kwarteng has defended the UK's approach to dealing with "the pandemic as it is today" by prioritising British adults for vaccinations, despite higher rates of transmission in other parts of the world.
Boris Johnson is among several world leaders to have a signed a pledge to create a treaty, noting that "nobody is safe until everyone is safe".
But the Business Secretary stressed that in the current crisis, "our job is to ensure first and foremost people in this country are safe".
Asked if the focus should be on where transmission was higher, he said that it was "absolutely right - but that can happen once we have a surplus of vaccines here in the UK.
"We don't have a surplus, we have to work through our programme of vaccinations," he added. "We have vaccinated 30m people, but we've still got a way to go. We have got to do everything we can to deal with pandemic and coronavirus in this country.
"We want to work in a spirit of cooperation, and when we do have surplus we will be looking to export those I am sure."
08:00 AM
Government had 'concerns about very opaque structure' of Liberty Steel parent company
Kwasi Kwarteng has said there were "concerns about the very opaque structure" of Liberty Steel parent company GFG Group, saying public money can't go "into a black box".
The Business Secretary told Radio 4's Today programme: "We are custodians of taxpayers money. There were concerns about the very opaque structure of GFG group [because] there was no guarantee the money would stay in the UK and protect British jobs."
In general he said that "opaque structures are not particularly helpful", adding: "We can't be given taxpayers money - putting it into a black box."
Asked about the access that owner Lex Greensill had to ministers, Mr Kwarteng said he was "not actually sure" how far it extended.
"I am not sure how close he was - I have read reports of his relationship with former Cabinet secretaries and so on... People are investigating that and looking into it. My focus is on the recovery."
07:54 AM
Government will 'distinguish between Liberty Steel and Greensil', says minister
The Government must distinguish between Liberty Steel, which is an important national asset, and the company which sits above it and has been caught up in the Greensill Capital collapse, Kwasi Kwarteng has said.
"I think it's a really important national asset and what we have to do is to distinguish between Liberty Steel and the company that sits above it," the Business Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He said his top priority was to protect British jobs, saying he was looking at "all sorts of plans".
Asked if the Government would allow the parent company to collapse first, he said: "All options at the moment are on the table. We think the steel industry has a future in the UK."
Liberty Steel UK, owned by businessman Sanjeev Gupta, said on Monday it planned to restart steelmaking next week and it was continuing to seek new funding after its main financial backer Greensill Capital went into insolvency.
07:30 AM
Government ignored schools rape claims years ago, says Jess Phillips
Shadow minister Jess Phillips has claimed that the allegations of sexual assault were ignored by ministers, despite being uncovered years ago.
She told Good Morning Britain: "It was uncovered by the Women and Equalities Select Committee and taken to the current schools minister and the then-secretary of state for education, that there was not just rape culture, there was rape occurring, every school day in a year there would be a rape that was going on in school.
"A third of 16 to 18-year-olds stated that they had experienced unwanted touching, so sexual assault at school, and two thirds of 13 to 21-year-olds said that they'd suffered harassment at school. This was four years ago and the Government did absolutely nothing to change that."
07:29 AM
Government 'failing young people in schools', says Labour shadow minister
A Labour shadow minister has accused the Government of "failing young people in schools", in the wake of allegations of a rape culture in some schools.
Jess Phillips, shadow safeguarding minister, told Good Morning Britain that in the last few years there has been "a massive and dwindling amount of charges and convictions".
"Imagine you're a 13-year-old girl, you've just been raped in the toilets of your school and you go and you tell a teacher and nothing is done by the school, and then you're expected to go back into the classroom and sit next to that pupil.
"Now I have handled numerous cases like that, the only thing the Government has done about this in the past four years, when they've known full well what's going on, the only thing they've done was to put in place new guidance for teachers which they have not tried to make sure that teachers know about.
"And the only reason they did that was because a kid who was raped took the then-education secretary to court. That's the lengths that people have to go to to be believed.
"The Government have been failing young people in schools, they are failing rape victims in our country and they have got to do something about this now."
07:26 AM
'Much deeper' questions must be asked about rape culture in schools, says senior Tory
Signs outside James Allen's Girls' School, in south east London - PA
A senior Conservative has said "much deeper" questions needed to be asked to address the problem of sexual violence among some young men in schools.
Robert Halfon, chair of the education select committee, told BBC Breakfast: "Why is it that some, and stress some because most boys behave impeccably, why is it that some boys are arriving at school with attitudes that don't treat female students with the dignity and respect and equality that they deserve?"
Mr Halfon stressed the need to examine the role of social media.
"I've had girls tell me that they've been abused on social media with horrific language and sexual language being used and there should be algorithms from the social media companies monitoring these large group chats especially when young women are threatened in this way.
"I really worry about the impact that social media is having on mental health."
07:23 AM
David Cameron 'largely exonerated' over lobbying allegations, claims Business Secretary
David Cameron is under fire over the Greensill allegations - Getty
Kwasi Kwarteng has insisted David Cameron has been "largely exonerated", amid calls for a formal inquiry into allegations the former prime minister used Whitehall contacts to lobby for Greensill.
The Business Secretary said it was a matter for Sir Alistair Graham's committee whether to pursue a probe, but insisted there was "a lot of transparency" about the case.
"He may or may not have contacted officials in the Treasury, but as far as I know everything was above board," he told Sky News.
"People have looked at this. As far as I know David Cameron did absolutely nothing wrong, he was a public servant for a long time, he's now gone into private life and was working for Greensill Capital."
Mr Kwarteng added: "What we can't do is go down the route of banning people from making a living, pursuing a profession, long after they've left political life."
07:19 AM
Business Secretary claims UK has made 'great strides' in BAME vaccine scepticism
Kwasi Kwarteng said there had been "great strides" in reaching out to those who are sceptical over Covid-19 vaccinations, although conceded there is "still a way to go".
He blamed the low-take up rate among some black and minority ethnic groups on "a degree of misinformation, people share things on social media".
Despite the ONS revealing a stark gap between white Britons and those of black African or Caribbean backgrounds, he added: "At the beginning of the vaccine process there was a lot more scepticism amongst certain communities here in the UK than there is today, I think we've made great strides actually.
"And there's still a way to go, but I think there's been a huge improvement and a huge increase in uptake amongst vulnerable communities and amongst BAME communities as well."
Mr Kwarteng added: "I think that people are sceptical, I think we've got a job as Government, as political leaders, to reach out to as many people in this country as possible."
07:16 AM
No contradiction between pandemic treaty and 'Britain first' vaccine approach
A senior minister has insisted there is no contradiction between the Government's stated aim to "keep Britain safe" before sharing vaccine supplies and calls for an international pandemic treaty.
Kwasi Kwarteng resisted calls to share the UK's doses with other countries, saying there were "no surpluses" currently, and supplies would only become available after the entire adult population had been jabbed.
But challenged over how that squared with Boris Johnson's call for greater collaboration, the Business Secretary told Sky News: "The letter was mainly focused on future pandemics, trying to work at an international framework so we can be more resilient
"Today we have a crisis on us and it is absolutely right we should be focused on that in our country and keeping our people safe so we can get back to normal life."
07:13 AM
Vaccination rollout 'not competitive', Business Secretary insists
The Business Secretary has insisted the global race to vaccinate people against Covid is not "competitive" - despite the ongoing row over supplies.
"The pandemic emerged at the beginning of last year and has caused huge amounts of devastation, it's set economies back, it's taken thousands of lives and I think it's absolutely the right thing for us to work internationally and co-operatively."
Mr Kwarteng continued: "What we've tried to do in the UK is roll out the vaccine as widely as possible and we've had something like 30 million people receive the first dose which is more than half the population.
"And we're working as well with European friends and allies to try and make sure that their populations are also vaccinated.
"So I don't think it's a competitive situation, I think that's an unfortunate way of looking at it."
07:10 AM
There are 'no surplus vaccine supplies', says Business Secretary
Kwasi Kwarteng has said there are "no surplus vaccine supplies" for the UK to share with other countries, including Ireland, saying the Government's priority is to "keep Britain safe".
The Business Secretary rejected calls to share vaccine supplies with countries including Ireland until the UK's vaccine rollout has been completed.
"Our main focus is to try and vaccinate the whole adult population. There is still a way to go on that," he told Sky News. "Our focus has to be to keep Britain safe.
"Then we can go through the roadmap and if there are surplus doses we can share them, but there are no surpluses at the moment."
06:47 AM
Exclusive: World leaders call for pandemic treaty
The world needs a global settlement like that forged after the Second World War to protect countries in the wake of Covid, Boris Johnson and other world leaders have said.
Writing for The Telegraph on Tuesday, Mr Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said the virus pandemic had been "a stark and painful reminder that nobody is safe until everyone is safe".
Amid growing international tension over vaccine supplies, they called for an end to isolationism and nationalism in favour of a new era of solidarity.
The call by 24 world leaders alongside Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organisation chief, is made in The Telegraph and newspapers across the world including Le Monde in France, El Pais in Spain and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in Germany.
The leaders said a treaty akin to the settlement forged in the aftermath of the war was needed to build cross-border co-operation ahead of the next international health crisis, describing Covid as "the biggest challenge to the global community since the 1940s".
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