Search for:
kralbetz.com1xbit güncelTipobet365Anadolu Casino GirişMariobet GirişSupertotobet mobil girişBetistbahis.comSahabetTarafbetMatadorbethack forumBetturkeyXumabet GirişrestbetbetpasGonebetBetticketTrendbetistanbulbahisbetixirtwinplaymegaparifixbetzbahisalobetaspercasino1winorisbetbetkom1xbet giriş1xbetdeneme bonusu veren sitelercasino sitelericasino sitelerideneme bonusudeneme bonusu veren siteler
Calls for rent caps within tenancies as landmark bill returns to Commons | Politics News

Campaigners are calling on the government to allow rents to be capped within tenancies as a key bill returns to the Commons.

More than 30 MPs have backed an amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill which, if passed, would restrict how much landlords can raise rents on sitting tenants by limiting percentage increases to inflation or average wage growth – whichever is lowest.

The bill, which was first proposed by the Conservatives, promises to abolish Section 21 “no-fault evictions”, the legal mechanism that allows landlords to evict tenants without providing a reason.

Section 21 notices have been identified as a key driver of homelessness by housing charities including Shelter, which says about 500 renters receive a no-fault eviction every day.

However, campaigners have expressed concern that if Section 21 notices are banned, landlords will use other means to evict tenants, including by pricing out tenants with rent hikes.

Politics latest:
Chancellor will remain until next election, Downing Street says

The most recent statistics by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that English renters paid an average of £1,362 last month, while rent prices in England increased by nearly 10% in the past year.

UK rent rises were not far behind, growing 9.1% across the year, just below the record-high annual rise of 9.2% in March.

Comparisons have been drawn with other countries in Europe, including the Netherlands, where a rent increase limit of inflation or wage growth plus 1% is in place.

Although there is a measure in the bill that would ban rent increases from being written into contracts to prevent mid-tenancy hikes, critics have pointed out that landlords would still be able to raise rent once a year at the market rate.

Analysis of government figures by housing charity Shelter found England’s private renters paid an extra £473m every month on rent in 2024 – an average of £103 more per month than they were paying in 2023.

However, the government has ruled out rent controls, saying its plan to build 1.5 million more homes will bring prices down.

The amendment on restricting rent increases has been proposed by Labour MP Paula Barker, a former shadow housing minister who said the change would “help keep renters in their homes”.

It has the support of the RMT and Unison unions, as well as the Renters’ Reform Coalition, which includes major homelessness and housing charities such as Shelter and Crisis.

Ms Barker said the housing crisis needed “immediate action” and that her proposal would prevent landlords from using “unaffordable rent hikes as de facto no-fault evictions”.

“In the long term, building more social and affordable housing will help to address the emergency – but to help renters who are struggling right now, a measure to limit rent rises would stop landlords from using unaffordable rent hikes as de facto no-fault evictions,” she said.

“By preventing landlords from raising the rent for sitting tenants by more than inflation or wage growth, my amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill would help keep renters in their homes. Which is why I am urging my fellow MPs to support it.”

Read more:
What is the bill – and will it end no-fault evictions?
Rent control battle comes to Britain – but do they work?

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Bristol renters face frenzied competition

Other MPs who support Ms Barker’s amendment include Green Party MP Carla Denyer, who has put forward a separate proposal that would set up an independent “living rent” body to establish rules about rent increases between tenancies by taking into account factors such as property type, condition, size and local incomes.

Green party co-leader Carla Denyer speaks to the media on College Green.
Pic: PA
Image:
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer speaks to the media on College Green. Pic: PA

“It’s time to end the scandal of rip-off rents,” the Bristol Central MP said.

“Right now, renters are facing a wild west when it comes to renting a home – and a lack of protection has left them at the mercy of landlords who see tenants as cash cows, not people in need of a home.

“Across Europe, rent controls are a normal part of the private rented sector. The UK is lagging behind, with dire consequences not just for renters but for the economy as a whole.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Our Renters’ Rights Bill will strengthen tenants’ rights by banning section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and while we do not have plans to introduce rent controls, we are taking action to cap rent payable at the start of a tenancy to one month, end unfair bidding wars, and give tenants stronger powers to challenge excessive rent hikes.

“This is alongside boosting supply by building 1.5 million homes as part of our plan for change.”

Blur drummer calls assisted dying law ‘psychopathic’ after ex-wife travelled to Dignitas alone | Politics News

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has called the UK’s current assisted dying law “psychopathic” after his terminally ill ex-wife travelled to Dignitas in Switzerland to die alone.

The 60-year-old supported former music industry and charity sector worker Paola Marra – who he married in the 1990s – as she battled breast and bowel cancer before she flew alone to Zurich in March following a terminal diagnosis.

She made the decision because the “pain and suffering can become unbearable”, she said in a film released after her death at the age of 53 called The Last Request.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Ms Marra made a video to be released after her death

Rowntree told The Guardian the current legal system showed “absolutely no empathy for the sufferer”.

He said he was joining calls for a change in the law ahead of the second reading later this month of a bill proposing the legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales under strict controls.

Dave Rowntree. Pic: Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock
Image:
Dave Rowntree. Pic: Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock

The Parklife musician said the choice of criminalisation or a slow and uncomfortable death was “brutal” and he was “bloody angry” about the situation.

“If you’re considering taking your own life, you are to do it isolated and alone, and anyone that is even suspected of helping in any material way can be arrested [and] you can get 14 years in jail,” he told the paper.

“It’s utterly brutal for the ill person because anyone they tell is potentially at risk of arrest, so they have to creep around like a criminal.

“Not only that, but when the time comes, if they do decide to die with dignity and end their life at a time of their choosing, and in a way of their choosing, they have to do it unsupported by anyone, on their own, not able to hold anyone’s hand, not able to hug somebody and say goodbye.”

Pic: Family handout
Pic: Family handout
Image:
Pics: Family handout

Rowntree offered to travel with Marra to Switzerland

Rowntree said he had offered to go to Switzerland with Ms Marra, after trying to persuade her of what he considered a more comfortable death in her home in London, but she said no.

She changed her mind for a time before later deciding to die alone, and pushed him to back the campaign to change the assisted dying law.

Although the full text has not yet been published, a second reading is scheduled for 29 November of a private member’s bill that would allow terminally ill adults to request and be provided with assistance to end their own lives – providing certain safeguards and protections are met.

When it is eventually put before MPs, possibly next year, they will be given a free vote, meaning they can follow their conscience rather than the party whip.

Dame Esther Rantzen and broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby have backed the campaign calling for a change in the law.

Pic: Family handout
Pic: Family handout
Pic: Family handout
Image:
Pics: Family handout

‘This is psychopathic’

Rowntree, whose father John had bowel cancer and died earlier this year, said of the current law: “It is the system washing its hands of difficult problems in a way that I can’t stomach.

“That’s the whole point of the state. The state can declare war… and if the state isn’t going to take these kind of difficult decisions, what the f*** is the point in having the state?

“This is psychopathic, where we are now, because the whole point of this [should be] to try to make things easier for the real victim in this – the terminally ill person.”

The law states a person could face 14 years in prison for accompanying their loved ones to Dignitas, but Crown Prosecution Service guidance says they are “unlikely” to be prosecuted.

Government calls on British public to share experiences and ideas to ‘help fix our NHS’ | Politics News

The British public and clinicians are being asked to share their experiences and ideas to “help fix our NHS”.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is calling on the entire country to help shape the government’s “10 Year Health Plan” with a “national conversation”.

Members of the public, NHS staff and experts are being invited to share their experiences, views and ideas on how the health service should move forward.

People can submit their ideas on change.nhs.uk or on the NHS app until the beginning of next year.

Mr Streeting, who was treated for kidney cancer in 2021, said the NHS “saved my life” and everyone owed the health service “a debt of gratitude”.

“Now we have a chance to repay that debt,” he said.

“Today the NHS is going through the worst crisis in its history. But while the NHS is broken, it’s not beaten.

“Together, we can fix it.

“Whether you use the NHS or work in it, you see first-hand what’s great, but also what isn’t working. We need your ideas to help turn the NHS around.”

Warwick hospital make strides to cut NHS waiting lists
Image:
NHS staff are also being asked to submit their ideas and experiences

The project is part of what the government is calling a shift “from hospital to community”.

It will include plans for new neighbourhood health centres where patients will be able to see GPs, district nurses, care workers, physiotherapists, health visitors and mental health specialists in the same place.

They also want to change the NHS “from analogue to digital” by putting all patient health information, test results and letters on the NHS app.

Read more:
‘Difficult choices’ coming in budget, minister warns

Ministers to oversee HS2 as costs allowed to ‘spiral out of control’

New laws will be introduced, the government says, to make NHS patient records available across all NHS trusts, GP surgeries and ambulance services in England to speed up patient care, reduce repeat medical tests and minimise medication errors.

The government estimates NHS staff will save 140,000 hours every year as they will be able to access patient data quickly, giving them more time to spend with patients.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘I need weight loss drug but can’t get it’

As part of Labour’s plan to move “from sickness to prevention”, it is looking at opportunities to shorten the amount of time people are ill, and to prevent illnesses.

One of the options being considered is handing out smart watches and other wearable tech to patients with diabetes or high blood pressure so they can monitor their health at any time.

Sir Keir Starmer said the 10 Year Health Plan is a “huge opportunity to put the NHS back on its feet”.

“So, let’s be the generation that took the NHS from the worst crisis in its history and made it fit for the future,” he added.

👉 Tap here to follow the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the government to show “ambition” in its plans, or risk the consultation “becoming a talking shop”.

He said: “We know that primary care services across the country are at the brink of collapse due to the Conservative Party’s disgraceful neglect, with patients paying the price.

“Whether it is sky-high GP waiting lists, endless ambulance response times, or a failure to diagnose cancer in time, none of these issues can be fixed without fixing the crisis in social care.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats will make sure that social care is part of the debate and push for a cross-party solution to this crisis.”

Prince Harry calls on governments to work more closely with young people – and thanks award winners for carrying on Diana’s legacy | World News

Prince Harry has called on governments around the world to more actively involve young people in decision-making, as part of an event marking Princess Diana’s legacy.

The Duke of Sussex made the remark during a panel discussion organised by The Diana Award in New York to talk about the mental health crisis facing young people.

Talking to two Diana Award winners on stage with him, Harry said: “Surely, one of the solutions here is for governments to implement or at least offer or find people, young people like yourselves, and bring them into decision making, policy making situations right before the problems exist.

“We’re very, very good at creating problems for ourselves to try and solve. But surely, by bringing young people in at the early stages for those solutions, surely that is where the difference is going to be made”.

His involvement in the discussion was his first public engagement since he turned 40.

He was joined by the award’s chief executive Dr Tessy Ojo, and Diana Award winners 27-year-old Christina Williams – a youth advocate from Jamaica – and 18-year-old Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia.

Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, Christina Williams, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Dr Tessy Ojo.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

The event was to launch a youth wellbeing project, encouraging teenagers and those in their 20s to feel empowered to speak up on mental health.

Harry then praised the winners for continuing his mother Diana’s legacy, saying: “I applaud you, at your age, to be on this stage, to have the confidence that you do, and to be able to speak as clearly and as passionately as you do.

“And I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys, not just you, but all of the award winners… the way that you do it, your activism, your compassion.

“Those two things are so true to how my mum led her life and what she believed in, and the way that you do it is incredible.”

Read more on Sky News:
Baby found after car hijacked
Zelenskyy to present ‘victory plan’

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Harry is due to attend other events in New York in the coming days including the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting.

It was also confirmed last week that he will be heading to the UK to attend the WellChild Awards on 30 September, another of his longstanding patronages.

Ukraine war: Lammy says West ‘won’t be bullied by Putin’ – as calls grow over long-range missiles for Kyiv | Politics News

The foreign secretary has said the UK and allies will not be “bullied by Putin’s shameless grandstanding” as the prime minister faces pressure to allow Ukraine to fire British long-range missiles into Russia.

David Lammy told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips the Russian president’s threats to use nuclear weapons if the West sends more weapons to Kyiv are “totally unacceptable”.

The government is facing increasing pressure from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow troops to fire long-range missiles into Russia, however no decision was made following talks between Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden in Washington this week.

Mr Lammy said he could not discuss the details of why a decision has not been made but added: “There’s a debate about further missiles.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (left) and Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the British ambassador's residence in Washington DC before their meeting with US President Joe Biden where they'll hold talks on resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Picture date: Friday September 13, 2024.
Image:
Sir Keir Starmer with David Lammy during a visit to the White House this week

“And we are discussing that as allies, as you would expect us to.

“I am not going to discuss the operational detail of that…because I’m not going to assist Putin as we head into the winter.”

He added: “Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons, it’s totally unacceptable.

“We won’t be bullied by Putin’s shameless grandstanding.

“What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Lammy: ‘This is not a transparency issue’

He added Sir Keir has pledged £3 billion in aid to Ukraine and provided more missiles when asked, and will continue to support Ukraine.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

England fan calls Slovakia performance ‘s****’ as some leave game early – missing last gasp comeback | UK News

An England fan called the Three Lions’ performance against Slovakia “shite” after they had left the Euro 2024 game early and missed the late comeback.

On Sunday, Gareth Southgate’s men turned in another uninspiring performance against Slovakia.

Despite being favourites, England went behind and struggled to pull the game level until the final moments of the match.

Some fans were so unimpressed they left the game early
Image:
Some fans were so unimpressed they left the game early

'Bellingham is our saviour' one fan said
Image:
‘Bellingham is our saviour’ one fan, who stayed to the end, said

Just a day after his 21st birthday, and five minutes into added time, Jude Bellingham scored an overhead kick to ensure England drew the game 1-1 and force it into extra-time. England went on to win through a Harry Kane header.

However, not all the England fans who spent their money travelling out to Germany to watch the team witnessed the turnaround.

Some fans had left early, fed up with the team’s performance over the 90 minutes of normal time.

Speaking to Sky News, when asked what they had made of the game, one fan said it had been “shite.”

They continued: “Southgate’s gone ain’t he, he’s gone on his holiday. The players will pick up the next two years. That’s all they can do.”

Read more from Sky News:
Banksy claims migrant boat artwork in crowd at Glastonbury
Has summer finally arrived?
Glastonbury 2024: Cameos, secret sets and all the best bits

England fans celebrating the comeback
Image:
England fans celebrating the comeback

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Another fan joked they had left early “only because we don’t want to get caught on the tram,” after the tournament in Germany suffered from public transport issues.

However, the fans who enjoyed the comeback were in higher spirits – one told Sky News: “Jude is our saviour. If not for Jude, where would we be?”

Gareth Southgate speaking after the game
Image:
Gareth Southgate speaking after the game

The comeback leaves England facing Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

Calls for arena ticket levy and tax relief to stop music venue closure ‘crisis’ | Politics News

A cut in VAT and a new levy on arena and stadium tickets are urgently needed to stop grassroots music venues from closing, MPs have said.

A report by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee said artists are facing a “cost-of-touring crisis”, with venues stopping live music or closing entirely at a rate of two per week.

The cross-party inquiry heard from the Music Venues Trust (MVT), which said 2023 has been the most challenging year for the sector since the organisation was founded in 2014, while Creative UK said the grassroots music sector took a “battering”.

In total the number of grassroots music venues (GMVs) declined from 960 to 835 last year, a net decrease of 13%, representing a loss of as many as 30,000 shows and 4,000 jobs.

The closures come against a backdrop of spiralling costs due to rising rents and energy bills, while audiences are cutting back on expenditure due to the economic climate.

There has also been a behaviour shift among younger people, who are spending less on food and alcohol.

The report calls for a temporary VAT cut based on venue capacity to “stimulate grassroots music activity and help the sector through the current closure crisis”.

The committee has also recommended a widespread voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets to be in place no later than September, which should be used to create a support fund for venues, artists and promoters and not be passed on to music fans.

MPs said that if there is no agreement by September or if it fails to collect enough income to support the sector, the government should step in to introduce a statutory levy.

‘Music faces a bleak future’

Dame Caroline Dinenage, chairwoman of the committee, said: “We are grateful to the many dedicated local venues who gave up their time to take part in our inquiry.

“They delivered the message loud and clear that grassroots music venues are in crisis.

“The ongoing wave of closures is not just a disaster for music, performers and supporters in local communities up and down the country, but also puts at risk the entire live music ecosystem.

“If the grassroots, where musicians, technicians, tour managers and promoters hone their craft, are allowed to wither and die, the UK’s position as a music powerhouse faces a bleak future.”

Read more:
At least one grassroots music venue closing per week
Warning of closures as venues face price hikes
Is this the death of the big night out?

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

On top of immediate financial help through a levy-funded support fund and a targeted temporary VAT cut, the report says a comprehensive fan-led review of live and electronic music should be set up this summer to examine the long-term challenges to the wider live music ecosystem.

The UK music industry brings billions of pounds into the economy, attracting both domestic and international tourists to live events.

Adele.
Pic: AP
Image:
British popstar Adele started out in grassroots venues. Pic: AP

But festivals, electronic music venues, academies and arenas “are not insulated from the impacts” of the crisis and “promoters are less able to put on shows or make them financially viable”, MPs warned.

The report was welcomed by industry figures, though Mark Davyd, chief executive and founder of the MVT, said it has “taken much longer than any of us would have liked to get the positive change we all wanted to see”.

The trust – which represents more than 900 grassroots music venues across the UK – has previously voiced concerns that emerging artists with the potential to be the next Ed Sheeran or Adele – both of whom started out playing in grassroots venues – could find their careers cut off at ground level, never realising their full potential.

Mother of trans boy who died in mental health unit calls for public inquiry | UK News

The mother of a transgender boy who died after self-harming in a mental health unit is calling for a public inquiry into his care.

Charlie Millers, 17, from Stretford, Greater Manchester, died from a brain injury five days after being found unconscious on the Junction 17 wing at Prestwich Hospital in December 2020.

An inquest at Rochdale Coroners’ Court found there were multi-agency failings leading up to his death and that he didn’t intend to end his life.

The inquest jury found that a lack of one-to-one nursing care and the decision not to place Charlie on constant observations at the ward probably contributed to his death.

His mother, Sam Millers, had repeatedly called for more support to keep him safe.

She told Sky News: “All these failings, it upsets me that I’ll never get the opportunity to say I’m sorry. He was at risk of death and as his mum, I said I didn’t think he’d be here for Christmas.”

Charlie was a talented artist who loved football and animals, but he struggled with his mental health from an early age.

More on Greater Manchester

He had been diagnosed with ADHD and was severely bullied after publicly identifying as a boy from the age of 12.

Charlie Millers and his mother
Image:
Charlie with his mother, Sam Millers

The court heard Charlie was receiving support from Trafford Council children’s services as he was in a cycle of self-harm and suicide attempts. He was admitted to Junction 17 due to a deterioration in his mental health.

Charlie was the third young person to die at the hospital in less than a year.

His mother said: “Three deaths in nine months due to the same observation failings is really concerning and we are going to push for a public inquiry.”

Read more:
What gender treatments are currently available to children?

‘Life-changing’ sickle cell disease treatment made available on NHS

The senior coroner at the inquest, Joanne Kearsley, also said she was concerned and told jurors she would write to the Department for Health and Social Care to seek recommendations to prevent future deaths.

In the months before he died, Charlie had been admitted three times to the unit, which is run by Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) NHS Foundation Trust.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

GMMH said: “A wide range of actions have already been taken to improve inpatient mental health services both in response to Charlie’s death, and as part of our wider improvement plan.”

Meanwhile, Trafford Council said: “We are actively working with our safeguarding partnership to enhance our practice when young people are in crisis to improve their care.”

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

Row between Conservatives and Nigel Farage’s Reform – as Tory chair calls Richard Tice a ‘threatening bully’ | Politics News

The Conservative Party chair has called Reform UK leader Richard Tice a “threatening bully” after the latter warned he could embarrass another senior Tory.

The row between the two parties comes in the wake of a devastating poll for the government, which showed the Conservatives risk falling below 100 seats in parliament after the next election.

But the same analysis of 15,000 voters found that, if Reform were to stand aside, the Conservatives would get closer to 150 seats.

Reform UK, in its previous iteration as the Brexit Party, did not compete in seats the Tories already held at the 2019 election – as then prime minister Boris Johnson sought a mandate to “get Brexit done”.

But today’s row makes the chances of a similar pact at the next election look vanishingly small.

The row erupted after Conservative deputy chair Jonathan Gullis criticised Mr Tice and the selection of Reform candidates in the Mail On Sunday.

Mr Tice then posted on social media: “With a special Easter message to Tory MP Jonathan Gullis: Given the multiple bits of embarrassing personal information we have on you, I suggest you pipe down on your attacks against me.”

In response, Richard Holden, who is chair of the Conservative Party, posted: “What a threatening bully Richard Tice is exposing himself to be.

“Silly man.”

Mark Jenkinson, a government whip, said Mr Tice was “not just a political weathervane, but also a thin-skinned bully – who knew?”.

Read more:
Who are Reform and what do they stand for?

Conservatives facing ‘extinction event’ – Farage
A vote for Reform UK is a vote for Labour – Holden

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Reform UK leader threatens more defections

Mr Gullis’s criticism came in an article which claimed Reform – of which Nigel Farage is director – had chosen candidates for the Commons who include a convicted animal abuser and a fortune-teller who sold spells for £200 on the OnlyFans website.

The MP told the Mail On Sunday: “Reform says its candidates have been vetted and given that all of this information was in the public domain, we can only assume this cast of characters passed Mr Tice’s muster.

“We are clearly not just talking about a ‘few rotten eggs’ here. If you are promoting candidates banned from looking after dogs, how can you honestly say they are capable of looking after the interests of their constituents?”

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

The stand-off between the two parties reached new levels when one of Mr Gullis’s predecessors as deputy chair, Lee Anderson, defected from the Conservatives to Reform.

There have been reports that Reform is courting more Tories – including Mr Gullis – although he has denied it.

👉 Listen above then tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Bob Seely, the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, told The Sun On Sunday that Reform “tried to tempt” him weeks before Mr Anderson’s defection.

But he said he knew “a duff deal when I see it” – branding Reform a “rag tag group with no hope of governing or leading”.

Crossbow attack victim calls for tougher regulation of the weapons | UK News

A woman whose partner was murdered by a neighbour armed with a crossbow is calling on the government to tighten restrictions on the weapons.

Laura Sugden and Shane Gilmer were attacked by their neighbour Anthony Lawrence in 2018, when he broke into their East Yorkshire home and shot them both with a crossbow.

Laura, who was pregnant at the time, was injured in the attack but she and the couple’s unborn daughter survived.

The attacker was later found dead.

Anyone aged over 18 can possess a crossbow but, following a review, the Home Office has launched a call for evidence – a request for public feedback – over whether people should need a licence to have one.

It represents a significant moment for Ms Sugden, who has been campaigning on the issue since Shane’s death.

“There’s nothing I would love more than to see some kind of guidance brought in around crossbows,” she said.

“It’s scary to think that anybody can just get hold of them over the age of 18 and I feel like it’s the last thing that I can do for Shane, to try and push for them to be brought in line with firearms.”

After the inquest into Shane’s death, the coroner raised his concern about the lack of controls on crossbows in a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to the Home Office.

The Home Office responded that the current laws struck the correct balance.

But the home secretary announced a review after an intruder was caught entering the grounds of Windsor Castle with a crossbow on Boxing Day 2021 intending to kill the late Queen.

Laura Sugden and Shane Gilmer. They were attacked when a man broke into their home with a crossbow in 2018. Shane was killed.
Image:
Laura Sugden and Shane Gilmer

The prospect of legislation has alarmed those who use crossbows for legitimate sporting reasons. Archery is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK.

Raynor Pepper, a competitive archer who helps run courses and sales at Phoenix Archery in Burnley, Lancashire, said: “You’ve probably got some garden tools that are far more dangerous.

“Anything in the wrong hands is going to be a weapon and perceived as such. So where does it stop?”

She said a growing number of people sought exercise and social contact through archery.

Read more from Sky News:
Investigation after ‘tragic loss of embryos’ at fertility clinic
Meghan says she suffered ‘hateful’ abuse while pregnant
Painting of former PM targeted in ‘moronic act of vandalism’

Ms Pepper added: “I’m just worried that something like this would narrow that for them and that would change their lives.

“To be honest, any gun crime that’s committed is not committed by a licensed gun owner, so what is it going to change?”

Ms Sugden said she was shocked by the easy availability of crossbows online.

For her and the daughter born a few months after Shane’s death, new legislation would be a vindication of her campaign.

“My only hope and wish is that no family has to go through, because of that weapon, anything that my family and Shane’s family have,” she said.