A Conservative MP who defected to Labour last week has been accused of asking the former justice secretary to interfere in a sexual assault trial of her ex-husband. The allegations are the latest in the saga surrounding MP Natalie Elphicke, who left the Conservative Party to join Labour. Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, has alleged that Elphicke asked him to interfere in the trial in 2020. A spokesperson for Elphicke has called the claims “nonsense”. The allegations could prove embarrassing for Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party and a former director of public prosecutions.
The Observer has reported that Elphicke defected to the Labour Party because she was never made a minister. Senior Conservative Party sources have claimed that the former MP had become bitter about being passed over for a senior role. There has been no response from Elphicke, but the Observer has noted that the Conservative Party is looking for ways to undermine her.
The Sunday Telegraph has reported that the UK government is planning to ban Civil Service positions dedicated to diversity issues, in a crackdown on “woke” spending. The Cabinet Office Minister, Esther McVey, has expressed concern that Whitehall managers are becoming distracted by these issues rather than focusing on their core functions. The Telegraph has also noted that Russia is recruiting far-right extremists to carry out attacks in the UK and other Nato countries.
Dog walkers who let their animals attack livestock could have their pets seized by police, according to the Sunday Telegraph. The UK government is reportedly drawing up new laws that will give officers “beefed up” powers to detain dogs they believe have attacked or worried livestock. The paper reports that farmers believe the problem has been exacerbated by “lockdown puppies,” dogs bought during the pandemic that are less socialised than normal due to Covid restrictions
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