The parents of brain-damaged 12-year-old Archie Battersbee have failed to persuade the Supreme Court to intervene in his life-support treatment battle.
The boy’s mother and father, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, had asked Supreme Court justices to give them more time to carry on their fight, possibly taking it to the UN.
But the judges’ decision means the hospital trust can now legally withdraw his medical treatment at any time.
The family’s lawyer has told Sky News Archie’s parents still plan to try to take the case to the UN or the European courts.
It comes after the Court of Appeal earlier this week upheld the High Court’s decision to withdraw life-support treatment for the boy.
The Supreme Court said it “has great sympathy with the plight of Archie’s devoted parents and recognises the emotional pain which they are suffering” but after careful consideration has refused to give them permission to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision.
Mr Battersbee and Ms Dance want the UN to consider Archie’s case, arguing it has a protocol that allows “individuals and families” to make complaints about violations of disabled people’s rights.
More on Archie Battersbee
They claim the UN could ask the UK government to delay the withdrawal of life support while a complaint is investigated.
Image: Archie’s parents Paul Battersbee and Hollie Dance
Archie has relied on mechanical ventilation since being admitted to hospital on 7 April, after being found unconscious with a ligature around his neck at home in Southend, Essex.
Doctors treating him at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, say he is brain-stem dead and continued life-support treatment is not in his best interests.
Barts Health NHS Trust wants to withdraw treatment and was last week granted permission to do what the High Court ruled was best for Archie.
Image: Archie was a keen gymnast
The court ruled in favour of removing life support in June after a test showed he was dead.
On Monday, Court of Appeal judges said doctors could lawfully stop providing the treatment and the youngster could be disconnected from a ventilator.
The family argue that stopping treatment would be in breach of the UK’s obligations under Articles 10 and 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
Image: Archie suffered severe brain damage
These international obligations say states must take all necessary measures to ensure disabled people enjoy equal rights and that governments should do all they can to prevent the deaths of children and young people.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said one of his shadow ministers was sacked yesterday for making up policy “on the hoof” as he stood on a picket line during rail strikes.
Sam Tarry was dismissed from his role as a junior shadow transport minister after he disobeyed orders for frontbench Labour MPs to not appear on picket lines during Wednesday’s rail strike.
He told Sky News workers should be offered pay rises in line with inflation – however Labour’s position is that pay negotiations are for unions and ministers.
Speaking for the first time since he was sacked, Sir Keir explained: “Sam Tarry was sacked because he booked himself onto media programmes without permission and then made up policy on the hoof.
“That can’t be tolerated in any organisation because we have got collective responsibility, so that was relatively straightforward.”
“Of course, as far as the industrial action is concerned, I completely understand the frustration of so many working people who have seen the prices go up, have seen inflation through the roof and their wages haven’t gone up.
“So the Labour Party will always be on the side of working people but we need collective responsibility as any organisation does.”
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7:52
Labour minister defies Starmer
Earlier, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who is still an MP, told Sky News he was backing Mr Tarry’s position and criticised Sir Keir for sacking him.
He said it was a “severe mistake” as the Labour Party was formed by the trade unions “so when the trade unions have a just cause, we support them – and this is a just cause”.
MPs have challenged a decision to shrink the size of Britain’s army by thousands of soldiers as a war rages in Europe, demonstrating the need for large land forces.
The Defence Select Committee also criticised cost-saving plans to retire dozens of tanks and other armoured vehicles before replacements are ready.
The MPs urged the Ministry of Defence at the very least to review the timelines for any changes to avoid creating capability gaps that could leave the armed forces vulnerable.
And they accused defence chiefs of appearing “arrogant and unwilling to learn lessons” from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or from last year’s disastrous retreat from Afghanistan.
Tobias Ellwood, chair of the committee, called on the next prime minister to commit more funds to defence.
“It is clear that now is not the time for personnel cuts or budget shortfalls in our armed forces,” he said. “We cannot afford for our [armed] services to become poorer and weaker. We need to spend more and spend it wisely.”
The cross-party committee has published a report into a major review of defence, security and foreign policy and accompanying papers released by the government last year.
It criticised commanders and mandarins for a reluctance to look again at the conclusions of their work – which set out the future size, capabilities and priorities of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force – in the wake of the subsequent Afghan withdrawal and Russian war.
“No strategy should be set in stone nor subject to constant revision,” the committee said.
“However, there is a need for government to be able to respond to major events… rather than downplaying the potential implications of such geopolitical shocks.”
Read more: World entering ‘dangerous new age’ of threats, says UK’s top national security adviser
A move that came in for particular criticism was the plan to reduce the size of the army by almost 10,000 troops, from a target of 82,000 to 72,500, by 2025 – a reduction that would diminish the force to its smallest in more than 300 years.
The MPs said it was a worry given – on top of security threats – the UK’s already over-stretched soldiers are increasingly called upon to help in non-military emergencies such as floods and the response to COVID.
“We are especially concerned about the proposed cuts to personnel numbers and the effective reduction in mass, particularly since that we are seeing defence being used more and more often as an emergency measure to relieve exceptional pressures on public services and perform such tasks that otherwise might be expected to be carried out by others,” the committee said in its report.
At the same time, it noted that General Sir Patrick Sanders, the new head of the army, had described the cuts as “perverse” and that Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, appeared to support a review of the decision.
Separately to the evidence considered by the committee, Mr Wallace told Sky News this week that the army would likely grow rather than shrink if the next prime minister commits to a significant uplift in defence spending at a time of growing threats.
A British man has been charged with assaulting a fellow passenger and crew members during a flight from London to Los Angeles which had to be diverted to Utah.
William Hayes, 39, was arrested after the Virgin Atlantic plane landed in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
He was charged with assault and interfering with the flight crew.
During the flight, he allegedly grabbed a passenger seated in front of him by the throat and tried to hit and bite him, prompting the jet to be rerouted, US authorities said.
Witnesses told authorities that after passengers and crew members restrained and handcuffed Hayes following the alleged assault, he tried to fight with people nearby and kick the plane’s windows, according to the charging documents.
Hayes was taken to the Salt Lake County Jail and police said the case was referred to the US Attorney’s Office.
The plane then resumed its flight to LA.
Virgin said in a statement that “the safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we don’t tolerate any behaviour that compromises this”.
“Our cabin crew are highly trained to deal with any individuals that may impact that experience for others,” a spokesperson said.
A Polish man has died after diving into Lake Garda in Italy – marking the sixth fatality there this month.
The 42-year-old went into the water at Desenzanino beach but failed to surface, causing his friend to alert the coastguard.
The body of the man, who has not yet been named, was found two metres (6.5ft) deep by fire brigade divers, Italian media reported.
His death comes as the search for Briton Aran Chada, who disappeared under the water after saving his teenage son, continues to take place.
The 51-year-old sales director, from the Leicestershire village of Woodhouse Eaves,hired a boat with his two children and wife on the lake near Limone on Friday.
They were about 500m (0.3 miles) from the shore when Mr Chada’s 14-year-old son got into trouble in the water
Mr Chada dived in and managed to save him but then got into trouble and slipped beneath the surface.
He has not been seen since and is it feared he may have drowned.
A spokesman for the coastguard said: “The man dived to save his eldest son who was in trouble and managed to push him back to the boat but then he got into trouble.
“It was very hot on Friday afternoon, but the water was 10 degrees colder, so it’s possible he had a seizure from the shock.”
Over the past week, Lake Garda has seen temperatures reach 31C or higher.
Like Mr Chada, there is still no trace of 33-year-old Pakistani man Hasnain Zeb, who jumped off a pedal boat into the lake at the end of June, according to Italian media reports.
On Sunday, 41-year-old Alessandro Redaell, who was originally from Lecco in northern Italy, was also found lifeless after diving into the water from a boat.
Human remains found at a burnt out mill in Oldham indicate there were at least two victims of the fire, police have said.
Specialist officers began searching Bismark House Mill on Saturday after demolition workers discovered human remains.
The site was part-destroyed in a fire on 7 May, but police said at the time that the premises were empty.
Greater Manchester Police are now looking into reports they received on Thursday last week that four Vietnamese nationals are missing from the area and may have been involved in the fire.
Image: Pic: Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Image: Pic: Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes said: “We are carrying out an extensive search of the remnants of the mill to ensure any further human remains are recovered in a way which is respectful to both the deceased and the bereaved.
“Meanwhile, our major incident team are continuing to liaise with partner agencies to ensure potential family members in Vietnam are fully informed and supported.
“Though we’ve now recovered human remains to suggest that at least two people were in the mill during the fire, we remain conscious of the report we received, on Thursday July 21, that four Vietnamese nationals were missing and may have been involved in a fire.
“Alongside the search and recovery efforts, extensive enquiries are being carried out to establish the full circumstances surrounding the fire.
“Any criminal offences identified as part of this will be progressed immediately and appropriately.”
Image: Fire crews at Bismark House Mill on Monday
The mill is a multi-occupancy warehouse where it took four days for firefighters to put out the blaze two months ago.
GMP has now been referred to its Professional Standards Branch to review how the incident was dealt with in light of the report of the missing people.
Police are urging anyone who is concerned about a missing loved one or who has information about the circumstances surrounding the fire, including activity at the premises before 7 May, to contact the Major Incident Room on 0800 051 4675, for UK callers, or (+44) 0207 459 4500, for international callers.
Information can also be submitted via the Major Incident Public Portal at mipp.police.uk or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Trans men should be supported to chestfeed their babies should they choose to do so, experts have said.
A new draft guideline from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) says trans men should be asked about their preferred manner of feeding before their baby is born and those who chose to chestfeed should be offered “chestfeeding support in the same manner as for cis-women”.
The guideline covers care for trans and gender diverse people though childbirth, contraception, fertility, gynaecological procedures and cancer treatment and care.
The document, which has been put out for consultation, makes a series of recommendations to help improve care.
What is chestfeeding?
Physically, chestfeeding is exactly the same as breastfeeding. Hormones trigger the body to make milk, the milk travels through glands and ducts ending at the nipple to feed a baby
Chestfeeding is used in the community of people who have recently given birth but don’t identify as women. They may be transgender people who were assigned female at birth but who now identify as men, or people who are non-binary
People who do identify as female may also prefer “chestfeeding” because of physical or emotional trauma related to their breasts. To them, the word “chest” is not as triggering as “breast” may be
It also says trans and gender diverse people should be offered advice about fertility preservation when considering gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapies.
It advises that trans men who conceive while taking masculinising hormone therapy should stop taking the hormones “as soon as possible” while those who are planning to conceive should stop their therapy for three months prior to conception.
And it urges healthcare workers to be aware trans and gender diverse people often face barriers when accessing healthcare services and to take steps to ensure they have easy access to care without “their gender being questioned or their confidentiality breached”.
Image: The new guidelines seek to break down barriers and improve the experiences of trans and gender diverse people
Use of preferred pronouns
The document also states that “gender diverse people should be offered health screening in accordance with national public health policies and clinical guidelines” and that they should be addressed by their “preferred title, name and pronouns”.
It follows the government’s women’s health strategy which said transgender men and non-binary people with female reproductive organs should always receive screening invites so they can access cervical and breast cancer care programmes.
A barrier to care
RCOG president Dr Edward Morris said trans and gender diverse people said they “often feel judged and misunderstood by the health service”.
This, he said, created a barrier to accessing vital care.
“We, as healthcare professionals, have a role to play in making them feel listened to and recognised,” he added.
Commenting on the guideline, which is open for consultation until 6 September, Asha Kasliwal, president of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said there were a number of instances of failure to “properly understand and evaluate gender diverse people’s healthcare needs”.
The guidelines, it was hoped, would “seek to break down barriers and improve the experiences” of trans and gender diverse people accessing obstetric and gynaecological services.
An ’emotional experience’
But Clare Ettinghausen, from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said there was “a lot of work to be done” to ensure healthcare was fully inclusive.
“It’s important that a diverse group of voices further inform this work so once finalised, the guidance can be put into practice and begin making a difference,” she said.
“Treatment can be a very emotional experience so we also recommend that anyone thinking about having fertility treatment has the right support.”
Tonight’s Conservative Party leadership debate between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak was halted after presenter Kate McCann fainted during the live broadcast.
Ms Truss held her hands to her face and said “oh my God” after a loud crash was heard – and then the contest was taken off air.
TalkTV said Ms McCann is “fine” but that the channel had been given medical advice not to continue.
“We apologise to our viewers and listeners,” it added in a statement.
As the debate was halted a message on TalkTV and The Sun’s stream read: “We’re sorry for the disruption to this programme.”
Truss and Sunak TV debate halted after incident in studio – live updates
The channel started broadcasting again shortly afterwards but cut to a different studio with presenter Ian Collins saying there had been a “medical issue”.
He said: “Everyone is OK so that is the good news. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are still currently in the studio chatting with readers and answering those questions.”
A Sun spokeswoman confirmed the incident was paused over a “medical issue”, adding: “We hope to be back on air soon.”
But TalkTV later tweeted that Ms McCann, their political editor, was not expected back on air.
Image: The debate was taken off air following the incident
Ms McCann was meant to appear alongside The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole, but he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier today.
He tweeted to say he was “very proud” of his friend, who he said was “absolutely bossing it”.
Rishi Sunak has also sent his well-wishes to the presenter, tweeting: “Good news that you’re already recovering @KateEMcCann.
“It was a great debate and I look forward to getting grilled by you again shortly.”
And Liz Truss said: “Relieved to hear Kate McCann is fine. Really sorry that such a good debate had to end. Look forward to catching up with Kate and the rest of the team again soon.”
The incident came as Mr Sunak and Ms Truss were clashing once again over taxes, NHS funding and the economy in their second head-to-head televised debate.
The programme saw the pair take questions from Sun readers, with a cancer patient asking what could be done to fix the “broken” NHS and a struggling mum questioning if she should go vegetarian because of the rising price of meat.
NHS
Taxes and the economy caused the most acrimony.
Mr Sunak said he was “brave” to introduce a £12bn tax increase to pay for health social care, telling the audience: “I made sure we got the NHS the funding it needed to help work through the backlogs, get everyone the care they needed and do that as quickly as possible.
“It wasn’t an easy thing for me to do, I got a lot of criticism for it, but I believe it was the right thing to do as I don’t think we can have an NHS which is ultimately the country’s number one public service priority that is underfunded and not able to deliver the care it needs.”
Raising taxes ‘morally wrong’
But Ms Truss, who has pledged to immediately reverse the national insurance hike if she becomes prime minister, said it is “morally wrong” to raise taxes during a cost of living crisis.
She said she was committed to the extra money that was announced for the NHS but that she would fund this through general taxation.
She said: “Under my plans, we will still be able to start paying the debt down within three years, so it is affordable.
“We didn’t need to raise national insurance in order to pay, we did have that money available in the budget, it was a choice to break our manifesto commitment and raise national insurance.”
However, Mr Sunak quickly shot back, saying it was “morally wrong” to heap more debt on future generations because “we can’t be bothered to pay it off” now.
On how to fund things like public services, he said it was “entirely reasonable” to ask the largest companies to pay “a bit more” in corporation tax because they received billions in support to help them stay afloat during the pandemic.
But Liz Truss, who wants to scrap the scheduled 19p to 25p increase in corporation tax, said Mr Sunak’s policies would make the UK less competitive and push the country into recession.
Cost of living
Tax has become the clear dividing line between the two Tory leadership contenders, with Mr Sunak advocating prudence with the nation’s finances and Ms Truss pledging tax cuts of more than £30bn.
Mr Sunak conceded more support would be needed to help families pay their bills in October, when the energy price cap is predicted to go up once again. But he stopped short of announcing any new help.
Ms Truss, meanwhile, said she would scrap the green levy on energy bills to help struggling households.
Read More: Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss trade blows in fiery head-to-head Tory leadership TV debate What happens now only Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are in the contest?
While tonight’s debate was acrimonious at times, it wasn’t as heated as last night’s showdown on the BBC, which saw Mr Sunak accused of “mansplaining” by allies of Ms Truss after he repeatedly talked over her.
Tory MPs are said to be concerned the contest is becoming “far too nasty” after the two sides traded increasingly personal attacks over the weekend.
With postal ballots set to arrive on Tory members’ doorsteps by 5 August, Mr Sunak needs good performances in the remaining debates and the early hustings.
Opinion polls and member surveys have suggested that he trails Ms Truss in the battle to win the votes of card-carrying Conservatives, with the foreign secretary the bookmakers’ favourite to be elected as Tory leader on 5 September.
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss will take part in a head-to-head debate on Sky News on Thursday 4th August at 8pm hosted by Kay Burley.
If you would like to be a member of the live studio audience and be in with a chance of asking a question, please apply here.
Lloyds Banking Group has announced it will close 66 branches this winter.
Between October and January, 48 Lloyds Bank branches and 18 Halifax branches will shut – the latest in a broad trend of big banks quitting the high street.
It comes just two months after the lender announced plans to shut 28 branches between August and November.
Russell Galley, director of consumer relationships at Lloyds Banking Group said: “Our customers have more choice than ever in how they bank with us.
“As our customers do more online, visits to some branches have fallen by as much as 85% over the last five years.
“Alongside our digital, online and telephone services, we’ll continue to invest in our branches, but they need to be in the right places, where they’re well-used.”
Lloyds said there will be no compulsory or voluntary redundancies, with staff able to move to other branches or another part of the business.
According to trade union, Unite, more than 5,000 bank and building society branches have closed since 2015.
But Lloyds insists it has 19.1 million online customers and 15.6 million app users, showing the increasing popularity of digital banking.
It has also promised that all of the branches set to close have at least one free ATM within half a mile, and a Post Office within 1.1 miles.
Once all the announced closures are complete, there will be 646 Lloyds Bank, 510 Halifax and 165 Bank of Scotland branches remaining.
The branches due to close between October and January are:
Lloyds, Bromyard Lloyds, Chigwell Lloyds, Catterick Garrison Lloyds, Malvern Link Lloyds, Redruth Lloyds, Lutterworth Lloyds, Palmers Green Lloyds, Cheadle Lloyds, Lytham St Annes Lloyds, New Ollerton Lloyds, Paternoster Sq, London Lloyds, Earls Court Rd, London
Lloyds, Leadenhall St, London Lloyds, Axminster Lloyds, Barton upon Humber Lloyds, Belper Lloyds, Intake, Sheffield Lloyds, The Moor, Sheffield Lloyds, Tilehurst, Reading Lloyds, New Romney Lloyds, Edgbaston, Birmingham Lloyds, Weoley Castle, Birmingham Lloyds, Billericay Lloyds, Immingham
Lloyds, Tonbridge Lloyds, Edgware Rd, Paddington, London Lloyds, Notting Hill Gate, London Lloyds, Sandbach Lloyds, West Wickham Lloyds, Darlaston Lloyds, Purley Lloyds, Aldridge Lloyds, Rothbury Lloyds, Wootton Bassett Lloyds, Guisborough Lloyds, Cheddar
The blue on blue attacks have ramped up after Rishi Sunak was accused of “mansplaining” to Liz Truss during their first head-to-head TV debate.
Mr Sunak spoke over Ms Truss several times as she attempted to explain her tax-cutting policies to the BBC audience of Tory members.
This prompted accusations of “mansplaining” – when a man explains something, typically to a woman, in a condescending or patronising manner.
Politics Hub: Tory MPs feat this is getting ‘far too nasty’ – live updates
Allies of Ms Truss said Mr Sunak had demonstrated “aggressive mansplaining and shouty private school behaviour”.
But veteran Conservative David Davis, who has run for leader twice, dismissed the accusations and said former chancellor Mr Sunak is simply “passionate”.
He told Sky News’ Kay Burley: “I think he’s passionate about these issues, he cares about it.
“He really does care about the fact that either us or our children will face phenomenal costs on this policy, life destroying, you’d have to sell your house, move out.
“I think it actually reflects well on him that he’s that passionate about the policy.”
Mr Davis added that when he was fighting for the leadership against David Cameron in 2005 he was “just as forensic and difficult” with him, but nobody accused him of “anything untoward”.
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Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, who is backing Ms Truss, said Mr Sunak was “pretty aggressive”.
He told Sky News: “There were some pretty aggressive moments from Rishi at the beginning as Liz tried to set out her case.
“But by and large, I think the debate was held in a reasonable spirit, reflecting obviously the importance of issues.”
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1:08
Sunak ally dismisses ‘mansplaining’ accusations
Read more: Police investigate death threat sent to Penny Mordaunt Nadine Dorries hits out at Sunak’s pricey suit – but she wears £6,000 earrings
Despite the pair saying they want to run clean campaigns, the contest has become more and more angsty, with allies of the two trading increasingly personal attacks over the weekend.
During the debate, the first since they were whittled down to the final two, Ms Truss said she would impose a temporary moratorium on the green energy levy and reverse the national insurance rise.
She also said her plans would see the government start paying down the debt that mounted up through COVID relief measures implemented by Mr Sunak in three years’ time.
As she accused Mr Sunak of being “contractionary” by putting up taxes, which she said would lead to a recession, Mr Sunak interrupted her.
He said: “Liz, your plans… your own economic adviser has said that will lead to mortgage interest rates going up to 7%. Can you imagine what that’s going to do for everyone here and everyone watching? That’s thousands of pounds on their mortgage bill.”
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1:41
Truss and Sunak in head-to-head
And as Ms Truss tried to continue, Mr Sunak said: “It’s going to tip millions of people into misery, and it’s going to mean we have absolutely no chance of winning the next election either.”
Sophie Raworth, who was hosting the debate, had to step in to insist Mr Sunak allowed Ms Truss to speak.
After that, the pair had some cordial exchanges, including when Ms Truss complimented Mr Sunak on his dress sense after Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries earlier criticised his expensive taste in clothes.
They also said they would want the other to be involved in their government.
The smiles didn’t last long. From the outset, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss argued bitterly for nearly half the debate on the economy and tax.
Her argument: “I’ll cut taxes now.” Him saying that it’s irresponsible and immoral. At times that got pretty fierce.
Mr Sunak, the underdog, was much more aggressive than in previous debates. But Ms Truss fought back strongly.
Most of it was more lively and more bitter, you might say, than the two previous debates they have taken part in.
China and Ukraine were dealt with only briefly. And then it got personal.
They also clashed on loyalty to Boris Johnson. There were personal questions as well about Ms Truss’s earrings and Rishi Sunak’s expensive suits. It all got quite passionate at times.
And finally, frontrunner Ms Truss invited Mr Sunak to be in her cabinet if she wins – and he appeared to say yes.
Ms Truss the frontrunner, but we’ve seen Mr Sunak catching up and a snap opinion poll last night suggested on the performances here in Stoke-on-Trent it’s neck and neck.
A snap poll by Opinium after the debate, based on a sample of 1,032 voters, found 39% believed Mr Sunak had performed best, compared to 38% for Ms Truss.
However, betting odds remain in favour of Ms Truss.
Postal ballots are set to arrive at Tory members’ doorsteps by 5 August, with another TV debate on Tuesday evening and a third on 4 August on Sky News.
Conservative leadership debate: Be in the audience
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss will take part in a head-to-head debate on Sky News on Thursday 4th August at 8pm hosted by Kay Burley.
If you would like to be a member of the live studio audience and be in with a chance of asking a question, please apply here.
