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Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Liverpool launches landmark 2040 plan to create “framework for a better future”

    Source: City of Liverpool

    A detailed, data-led report looking at how to create a better future for Liverpool’s half a million residents over the next 15 years has been published.

    The Liverpool 2040 Plan, which has been published online, sets out a step-by-step framework to foster greater collaborations across dozens of key organisations to make Liverpool the UK’s leading city of opportunity – for all.

    This strategic vision, documented in a 37-page publication, has been launched with a commitment from city leaders “to work closer together than ever before” on a series of common issues and to influence and guide public sector reform on key areas such as education, employment, housing and health.

    Set out as “a framework for a better future”, the wide-ranging plan has been developed by the Liverpool Strategic Partnership, whose membership has been increased to include more than 20 organisations. Collectively the LSP has a combined workforce of more than 60,000 people and an annual spend of £10bn a year.

    The overall aim of the Liverpool 2040 Plan is to offer greater opportunities to the city’s residents, of all ages and backgrounds, in a united effort to make it a better city to live, learn, work and play in.

    The Liverpool 2040 plan also sets out how city partners will collaborate to improve life-long educational standards whilst addressing deep rooted socio-economic and health inequalities, as well as global challenges such as climate change.

    Work is already on some fronts, with Liverpool last week being awarded Marmot City status for its work in tackling health inequalities and has been appointed the world’s first UN Accelerator City for its work on reduce the carbon footprint in the entertainment industry.

    However, Liverpool, whose population is set to grow by 10% over the coming decade, is a city where a third of residents are classed as economically inactive and where one in five have a disability. And at a neighbourhood level, life expectancy can vary by up to 14 years for residents living just four miles apart.

    Such challenges, set against unprecedented pressures on public finances, has led city leaders to come together in a renewed effort to identify and align common priorities. This approach is underpinned by a commitment to analyse and share intelligence to inform and strengthen joint-working to identify and maximise opportunities presented by new government policies.

    The 2040 timeline also aligns with other key data-rich programmes as identified in the State of Health in the City: Liverpool 2040 report and the city region goal to achieve New Zero status also by 2040.

    This shared ambition is set around eight key priorities, each to be measured against five specific outcomes, with a clear intent to provide a long-term vision for the type of city the next generation should be inheriting.

    The eight pillars of the 2040 plan are:

    1. The Next Generation – key aim: For Liverpool to be UNICEF Child Friendly City.
    2. Healthy Lives – key aim: To improve life expectancy and reduce health inequalities in poorest communities.
    3. A Fair Transition to Net Zero – key aim: For Liverpool to be a zero-waste city.
    4. Safe, Cohesive and Clean Communities – key aim: To improve safety at neighbourhood level.
    5. Quality Homes – key aim: To work at eliminating homelessness and rough sleeping.
    6. Inclusive Economic Growth – key aim: To develop city-wide innovation and skills strategy.
    7. An Exciting and Distinctive City – key aim: For Liverpool to build on top 5 UK visitor city destination status.
    8. Vibrant Public Services – key aim: To be a leading innovator based on data-led evidence.

    The LSP, overseen by a board of chief executives, chaired by the chief executive of Liverpool City Council, has also been refreshed in response to the Strategic Futures Panel’s recommendations around strengthening the city’s approach to public service reform.

    The LSP has also been devised to enable Liverpool to speak with one voice to national government and its departments. It also provides a shared platform for the city to take advantage of any new government opportunities.

    The Liverpool 2040 Plan has also identified a priority focus on public service reform, with an emphasis on what makes sense for local areas to meet the needs of local people.  This will build on key initiatives including Liverpool City Council’s new neighbourhood model, the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), the Complex Lives project, the North Liverpool Public Service Reform Prototype, and the development of an Office of Public Service Innovation.

    The Liverpool 2040 plan, which has been endorsed by Liverpool City Council’s cabinet, replaces the former City Plan that was published in 2020.

    This previous city plan was in need of a refresh to reflect on the lessons and consequences of Covid-19 pandemic, the commissioner-led intervention to improve Council performance, as well as recent socio-political issues like a new UK government, last summer’s civil unrest. It also needed to respond to wider issues like the global energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the rise of AI and understanding and identifying the challenges and opportunities it presents.

    Member of the Liverpool Strategic Partnership are:

    • Liverpool City Council
    • University of Liverpool
    • Liverpool John Moores University
    • Liverpool Hope University
    • Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
    • City of Liverpool College
    • Liverpool Chamber of Commerce
    • Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Service
    • Torus
    • The Riverside Group
    • Onward Homes
    • Merseyside Police
    • Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
    • HMPS – Liverpool Prison
    • Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
    • NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership
    • Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
    • Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust
    • Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
    • Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
    • Department for Work and Pensions, North West

    Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The Liverpool 2040 Plan sets out the beginning of a 15-year journey to shape Liverpool as the UK’s leading city of opportunity – for all.

    “The Liverpool 2040 Plan sets out a clear vision of how to be a better city and sets the foundations to guide the changes needed well into the rest of the 21st century.

    “it’s clear our major organisations need to work much harder and smarter together. For Liverpool to be a better city, we need to do better on a lot of levels – and I’m heartened by the desire and commitment in so many of our partner organisations to do that.

    “This is the city that delivered both the best-ever European Capital of Culture and Eurovision. Through a potent mix of imagination, inspiration and collaboration we saw mass participation on an unprecedented scale, delivering remarkable results with huge economic benefits. Under the biggest spotlight and phenomenal pressure, Liverpool performs. And excels. Like few cities can.

    “But on another level, too many of our residents are not living their best life. Opportunity is not knocking in the way it should in the world of education and employment. The health and wealth for a lot of our residents is below the national average. Much of our housing is poor quality, so many of our children are not benefitting from the best possible start in life. That is unacceptable. That needs to change.

    “This Liverpool 2040 plan provides the best possible platform for us to start that journey, informed by data every step of the way to ensure we all make the right decisions to ensure we create an environment that nurtures and fosters talent and opportunity.

    “We need to fully address the fundamental issues we face – in education, employment, health, housing, transport and employment – and its eight guiding priorities will shape how we respond to the challenges and maximise the opportunities over these next 15 years.

    “I’m deeply encouraged by how many partners right across the public, private and voluntary sector have signed up to a vision of offering greater opportunities than ever before to our residents. We all have a role to play in making Liverpool the best place to grow up, grow a family, and grow a business – where no-one is left behind.

    “Rest assured myself, my cabinet and this Council will work tirelessly with the Metro Mayor and the city region combined authority to make our case to the UK Government where and when it is needed. The Council cannot make these improvements alone. And not all the solutions are financial – reform and policy changes are just as vital to delivering the changes we need.

    “Lasting change takes time, which is why we have set a 15-year timeline for our vision. Despite this, we are determined that our residents will see immediate and incremental improvements in the here and now, and I am deeply optimistic about the progress we can make together on an ongoing basis.”

    Andrew Lewis, Chair of the Liverpool Strategic Partnership and Chief Executive of Liverpool City Council said: “Public services across the country, and particularly here in Liverpool, are facing unprecedented challenges, including rising demand for services, limited public funding and increasing complexity of needs. 

    “These challenges cannot be met by any one organisation acting alone. So it’s vital to have a strong strategic partnership across Liverpool.  Together we represent the full range of public services for our city, committing to work together on a shared strategy for Liverpool 2040, prioritising our investments, sharing data and evidence, and transforming services together.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Innovative ‘collective’ pension funds to deliver higher incomes and lower risks for future pensioners

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Innovative ‘collective’ pension funds to deliver higher incomes and lower risks for future pensioners

    Pensioners of the future will benefit from innovative ‘collective’ pension schemes to boost their income in retirement and productive investment across the economy, under plans announced today [29 April]

    • Wide reaching reforms to make innovative “collective” pension funds more commonplace will reduce risk and volatility for savers.
    • Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) schemes pool investment and longevity risks, unlocking productive investment potential as well as supporting more predictable returns for savers at no extra cost for employers. 
    • With new regulations to allow for multiple employer CDCs planned for the Autumn, more savers are set to benefit from CDCs as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    More people than ever are saving into a workplace pension – £28 billion more in 2020 than in 2012 – with most of these pension pots being Defined Contribution (DC) schemes, where the employee is automatically enrolled to save a proportion of their salary tax-free and the employer contributes at least 3% of their salary to the pot too. 

    But a lack of innovation and reform of the DC savings landscape risks some future pensioners bearing large risks, in terms of the value of their investments and whether their savings will provide an income throughout their retirement. 

    Collective Defined Contribution (CDCs) are a new type of pension scheme that sees both the employer and employee contribute to a collective fund. Due to the scale of these funds and the pooling of risk for members, they can aim to provide a target pension income for life – similar to Defined Benefit (DB) schemes, sometimes called an average or final salary pension, but without the risk of significant unexpected bills for employers.  

    In the UK, Royal Mail have already launched a CDC scheme for their employees which has over 100,000 members who are offered a combination of a cash lump sum and an income for life in retirement. 

    Speaking at the LCP Conference in London today, the Minister for Pensions confirmed new regulations, set to be laid in the Autumn, will allow for multiple employer CDC schemes to be established, so that a range of unconnected employers can pool their employees’ pension pots into a collective fund, boosting returns for savers. 

    These pooled pension investments will mean higher incomes in retirement, and help individuals manage the uncertainty about how long that retirement will be. These measures will provide more options for savers and employers to choose between and are part of wider reforms to the pensions landscape, as part of our Plan for Change to put more money into people’s pockets.

    Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell said: 

    Success in the world of pensions isn’t just about getting people saving, it’s ensuring their savings work as hard as possible for them. 

    Making sure more employers and savers have the option of an innovative Collective Defined Contribution Pension scheme is an important part of making that happen.

    Too often at present we are leaving individuals to face significant risks, about how their individual investments perform and how long their retirements last. Pooling some of those risks will drive higher incomes for pensioners and greater investments in productive assets across the economy.

    The Minister also confirmed his desire to deliver decumulation only CDC schemes. These schemes would allow certain savers with DC schemes to access CDCs, offering retirees the chance to buy longer term, pooled retirement products that deliver stability for pensioners. 

    Modelling from the PPI suggests that single employer CDCs could deliver a significantly greater average replacement rate (47%) than currently delivered through annuities (40%) with even higher benefits seen for multi-employer CDCs as longevity risks are pooled. (69%). 

    And due to their size, CDCs can also be a more efficient vehicle for economic growth, with similar collective funds in Canada and Australia having proved an efficient way of supporting economic growth, investing in a wider range of sectors and assets.

    CDC schemes can invest in illiquid and more productive investments over the long term, including in UK businesses and infrastructure projects, supporting the Government’s growth mission while providing employers with greater freedoms as well as reducing the risks of over or under spending in retirement by paying pensioners based on life expectancy.

    These measures aim to drive economic growth and improve retirement outcomes for working people as part of the Plan for Change. 

    Today’s announcement will provide clarity to the industry ahead of the upcoming Pensions Investment Review and Pension Schemes Bill, and in time give working people and employers a new option when considering what pension scheme works best for them

    Additional Information

    • The Pensions Investment Review: interim report sets out proposals which the government has consulted on to deliver scale and consolidation of the Defined Contribution (DC) market and the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales (LGPS). The report can be viewed here: Pensions Investment Review: interim report – GOV.UK
    • The government plans to introduce legislation in Autumn 2025, and subject to parliamentary approval, intends to bring the legislation and an updated Regulator’s Code into force as soon as practicable. 
    • The government will continue to work with industry stakeholders to develop decumulation CDC.  
    • The UK’s first CDC scheme, the Royal Mail Collective Pension Plan launched in 2024 which was a truly landmark moment for the UK pension landscape.
    • There are now several organisations are actively looking to set up an unconnected multiple employer CDC scheme.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Charged in Conspiracy to Steal and Sell Catalytic Converters

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – Three Rhode Island men have been charged in federal court in Providence for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to steal and sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of catalytic converters, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Kuron Mitchell, 25, of Newport, Alberto Rivera, 25, of Cranston, and Luis Aceituno, 27, of Providence, are each charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with interstate transportation of stolen property in excess of $5,000 and conspiracy to commit the same. Additionally, Aceituno is charged with filing false tax returns.

    According to charging documents, in January 2022, the Cranston Police Department began tracking patterns surrounding the thefts of catalytic converters. A criminal group was later identified as allegedly being responsible for more than 7,000 stolen catalytic converters in Southern New England and in the greater Boston area, valued at more than $2.4 million. It is alleged that many of the stolen catalytic converters were sold to a Providence company (identified in court documents as Company 1) that recycles catalytic converters. Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500.

    Charging documents reflect that from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Rivera, Aceituno, Mitchell, and others canvassed neighborhoods and parking lots in search of unoccupied vehicles from which they could steal catalytic converters. Working in groups, they allegedly targeted vehicles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, cut off the catalytic converters, and sold many of them to Company 1.

    An FBI analysis of Company 1’s databases seized during a court-authorized search of the business in February 2023, and a review of a database maintained by Rhode Island Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Identification, revealed that from 2021 to 2022, Rivera allegedly sold 19 catalytic converters and received $7,100; and Aceituno allegedly sold 2128 catalytic converters to Company 1 and received $699,735.

    In addition to his alleged participation in the conspiracy to steal and sell catalytic converters, it is further alleged that Luis Aceituno failed to disclose to the IRS income derived from the sale of catalytic converters in tax years 2021 and 2022. It is alleged that for tax years 2021 and 2022, Aceituno failed to report a total of $699,735 in income and failed to pay a total of $199,908 due to the IRS.

    Luis Aceituno appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday and was released on unsecured bond; Kuron Mitchell appeared in U.S. District on April 25, 2024, and was ordered released to home detention with GPS monitoring; Alberto Rivera is currently detained on charges unrelated to this matter.

    A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Julie M. White.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI, Cranston Police Department, Providence Police Department, IRS-Criminal Investigations, United States Marshal Service, National Insurance Crime Bureau, Newport Police Department, Fitchburg State University Police, Watertown Police Department, Canton Police Department, Attleboro Police Department, Fall River Police Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs- Office of Inspector General-Criminal Investigations Division.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: British Steel: ministerial direction

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    British Steel: ministerial direction

    Letters requesting and confirming the ministerial direction relating to British Steel.

    Documents

    Letter from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to the Permanent Secretary, 12 April 2025

    PDF, 103 KB, 1 page

    Letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, 12 April 2025

    PDF, 199 KB, 3 pages

    Details

    The first letter requests a ministerial direction on British Steel. It is from the Permanent Secretary to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. The reasons for the request are also set out in this letter.

    The second letter confirms the ministerial direction on British Steel. It is from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to the Permanent Secretary. The reasons for the confirmation are also set out in this letter.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New school improvement team sets ambitious goals for schools 29 April 2025 New school improvement team sets ambitious goals for Isle of Wight schools

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    The Isle of Wight Council has introduced its new school improvement team — a group of seasoned education professionals dedicated to enhancing the quality of education across the Island.

    The newly formed team boasts more than 40 years of collective experience in education. Their diverse backgrounds include classroom teaching, senior leadership, and strategic development, with a strong focus on raising standards and closing gaps for the most vulnerable learners.

    Leading the initiative is Beth Dyer, the former head teacher of Nine Acres Primary School in Newport. Under her leadership, Nine Acres became the first Island primary school in over a decade to be rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

    Beth, now serving as the service manager, brings her extensive expertise and commitment to the forefront of this ambitious project.
    However, it is important to note that improvements will take time.

    The team’s efforts are part of the council’s education strategy, approved by Cabinet last week. This long-term plan aims to make sure the Island’s education system improves in a lasting and meaningful way.

    Here, Beth discusses the team, their motivations, and plans for the future.

    Can you introduce yourselves and share a bit about your background in education and school improvement?

    Between us we have worked in education for over 40 years, holding a variety of leadership roles in a range of school settings.

    Our backgrounds span classroom teaching, senior leadership, and strategic development, with a strong focus on raising outcomes and closing gaps for our most vulnerable learners.

    Between us we have successfully led school improvement initiatives across primary and secondary phases and have a deep commitment to inclusive, high-quality education for all children on the Isle of Wight.

    What inspired you to join the school improvement team at the Isle of Wight Council?

    The Isle of Wight Council has a strong sense of community and ambition for its schools. There’s a real opportunity here to make a difference — not just through standards, but by developing a sustainable, values-led culture where children thrive.

    The chance to work collaboratively across a unique and diverse local context is incredibly motivating. It provides an opportunity to co-construct a school improvement approach that reflects the strengths and needs of our communities.

    We are excited to bring our experience to a system that values collaboration, champions inclusivity and is committed to securing better outcomes for every child and young person on the Island.

    What is your vision for school improvement on the Island?

    Our vision is for every child and young person on the Island to attend a school or setting that offers consistently high-quality education, where they are known, valued, and supported to flourish.

    We want to build a culture of continual improvement where staff feel empowered, leadership is strong, and success is shared across all settings.

    What are the top priorities you plan to address in the first year?

    • Ensuring inclusive practice is embedded in every setting.
    • Improving outcomes in key areas such as reading, maths, and attendance.
    • Increasing access to high-quality professional development and school-to-school collaboration.

    What are the key goals you aim to achieve in the next 1–3 years, and how do you plan to sustain improvement over time?

    In the next 1–3 years, we aim to:

    • reduce the variation in pupil outcomes between schools;
    • embed a robust culture of self-evaluation and accountability;
    • develop a more connected school system where excellence in education is shared.

    Sustaining improvement will depend on strong leadership development, data-informed decision-making, and a commitment to reflective, adaptive practice on every setting.

    What do you see as the biggest challenges to school improvement, and how do you plan to overcome them?

    The biggest challenges include recruitment and retention and the need for a more joined-up approach to inclusion and SEND.
    We’re addressing these by building leadership networks, developing clear improvement pathways, and working closely with partners and stakeholders.

    Children deserve professionals who champion their potential, remove barriers to learning, and lead with ambition and compassion.

    By investing in strong leadership, inclusive practices, and evidence-informed improvement strategies, we can ensure every child on the Island has access to excellent education-regardless of background or need.

    How will you track the progress of your initiatives and measure their impact on student outcomes?

    We’ll use a combination of quantitative data (attainment, attendance, exclusions) and qualitative measures (pupil voice, stakeholder feedback, school visits).

    Termly progress reviews with school leaders and impact reports will help ensure accountability and responsiveness. It is also central to us to listen to our Island community so that improvement strategies are shaped by the voices of those they affect most- children, families, educators , and local partners.

    By grounding our work in local insight and context, we can ensure meaningful sustainable change that reflects the Island’s unique strengths and aspirations.

    What benchmarks or indicators will you use to evaluate success?

    Success will be reflected in:

    • rising outcomes across all key stages to exceed National Averages;
    • narrowing of attainment gaps;
    • improved attendance and engagement;
    • more Island schools nationally recognised for exceptional practice;
    • stronger leadership capacity and positive staff feedback.

    How will you involve teachers, parents, and the community in the improvement process?

    We’re committed to co-production wherever possible. That means listening to the voices of those closest to the classroom and involving them in shaping our approach.

    We’ll create regular opportunities for dialogue, celebrate good practice publicly, and ensure our communications are clear, open, and supportive.

    What motivates you in your work, and what do you find most rewarding about working in school improvement?

    We are motivated by the belief that education transforms lives.

    The most rewarding moments are seeing schools regain their confidence, seeing leaders grow into their roles, staff inspired by moments of breakthrough, when a new strategy lands, a leamer makes progress, or a classroom feels united by purpose.

    Ultimately, it is watching children succeed and have choice over their future pathways. Children who once felt invisible begin to thrive, find their voice and believe in their own potential. That transformation is what drives us every day — it’s why we do this work.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Children link accents with intelligence from the age of five, says study

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ella Jeffries, Lecturer in linguistics, University of Essex

    Fh Photo/Shutterstock

    From the moment we are born (and even before that, in utero), we tune into the languages around us. This includes the accents they are spoken in.

    Studies have found that infants show a preference for a familiar accent from as young as five months old. Fast forward to adulthood and it is difficult to find anyone who doesn’t have something to say about accents.

    Opinions, criticisms and stereotypes about speakers based on their accent are rife in the UK, and can lead to serious cases of accent discrimination (“accentism”).

    But what happens between infancy and adulthood to get to this point? How are we socialised into such biases – and does this happen at an earlier age than we might have thought?

    Previous research into accent stereotypes in the US – that northern accents tend to mean “smart” and southern mean “nice” – found that children do not show these adult language stereotypes until the age of nine or ten.

    These attitudes were directly expressed in the research study by children responding to the questions “who do you think is nicer?” and “who do you think is smarter?” after hearing audio clips of the different accents. But as these attitudes had been explicitly stated in the questions, there’s a risk the children may have been saying what they thought adults wanted to hear – based on what they thought to be socially acceptable, rather than their honest views.

    Less is known about unconscious bias – the attitudes listeners might not be aware they have, but which affect their actions towards speakers with different accents. My recent research with colleagues aimed to explore how children’s more unconscious, embedded and implicit attitudes might manifest.

    We focused on the language attitudes of five-year-olds in Essex. We carried out a computer-based experiment in which 27 children were first familiarised with two characters through a short narrated video describing their characteristics.

    One was labelled “clever” and could read, write and speak very well. The other was labelled “not clever” and couldn’t read, write or speak well. The narrator of the video had an American-English accent, which did not feature in the experimental part of the study.

    The children then took part in a series of matching tasks. For each task, they heard an audio clip featuring a UK accent. Straight after, a picture of either the “clever” or “not clever” character appeared in the centre of the screen. The children were asked to match this picture with one of two smaller pictures (one of the “clever” and one of the “not clever” character) on the left- and right-hand sides of the screen.

    The experiment measured their reaction time in matching the characters. A quicker response time indicated the association between accent and character was more compatible, and that they hadn’t been surprised by a mismatch between the accent they heard and the central character on the screen.

    The experiment also measured their brain using an electroencephalogram (EEG). This computed the brain’s reaction to the compatibility between the accent and the “clever” or “not clever” character presented centrally on screen.

    Standard English

    Our results found that across the measures, the five-year-olds showed a strong association between a standard southern English accent – also known as received pronunciation or the Queen’s English – and intelligence. This accords with what we know about how children will grow up to associate standard English as the “correct” form in the UK. Our research suggests that by age five, this association is already fairly well entrenched.

    A perhaps more surprising finding from our study was that for one of the brain measures, the children were also found to associate the Essex accent – their home accent – with intelligence. This contrasts with previous research which found negative attitudes towards the Essex accent among young adults in south-east England.

    A familiarity effect may have led the children to view their home accent as intelligent.
    Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

    This finding is interesting because it tells us there is perhaps an ongoing familiarity effect from five months old – children may be more positive towards the accent they find more familiar.

    The final accent that featured in our study was the Yorkshire accent. Our results found that, for one of the brain measures, the children associated the Yorkshire accent with unintelligence.

    This corresponds with the prevalent accent prejudice against northern accents in the UK. Worryingly, this finding again suggests that bias has may have already become embedded in children who are only just starting school.

    The culminating finding of our work relates to the children’s exposure to accent diversity. Children who had been exposed to a broader range of accents at home, with one or more parents from outside Essex, were more positive towards different accents overall. They were less likely to associate any of them with unintelligence.

    Children are not born judging speakers to be uneducated based on the way they speak. It is something they are socialised into believing. Our research suggests that exposure to accent variation may be key in tackling accent discrimination from a young age.

    Ella Jeffries receives funding from the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust

    – ref. Children link accents with intelligence from the age of five, says study – https://theconversation.com/children-link-accents-with-intelligence-from-the-age-of-five-says-study-255175

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What interviews with ordinary Germans living under the Nazis can teach us about our current politics

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Melissa Butcher, Professor Emeritus, Social and Cultural Geography, Royal Holloway University of London

    “Nazi” and “fascist” are words being used a lot these days; thrown about as descriptions of contemporary populist leaders or to mark out disagreement with someone. Comparisons with 1930s Germany don’t always suit the complexity of the moment we live in, but there are resonances. The choices people are having to make in the face of authoritarianism is among them.

    Darkness Over Germany, originally published in 1943, is a collection of conversations with people having to make difficult choices as the Nazi party gradually takes control of their country. The author, Amy Buller, lived and studied in Germany between 1912 and 1914, maintaining personal and professional networks there throughout her life.

    Concerned by what she saw happening in the 1930s, she established an Anglo-German discussion group. She took academics from the UK to Germany to try to understand the country’s slide into dictatorship.

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    The conversations, with teachers, priests, military officers, tradesmen, civil servants, students and lawyers, point to some of the underlying economic and emotional drivers of authoritarianism. People speak of grievances related to humiliation and poverty. This is coupled with a desire for a leader who will make the pain of these things disappear.

    Hitler promised to make Germany great again, for which some expressed gratitude, including a skilled tradesman who had spent four years in the trenches of the first world war: “I would ask you not to sneer at an honest attempt to meet a terrible situation and I might add that I am profoundly grateful to the Führer for this idea, which has saved my own sons from the destruction of unemployment.”

    As Buller remarked in a lecture in 1942: “When men are drowning they will not be very particular about the type of rope that picks them up”.

    Amy Buller’s Darkness over Germany.
    Wikipedia

    Faced with fascism, ordinary Germans had to make difficult choices, described as “agony” by a teacher in Darkness Over Germany. At times, there is no good choice available. There were those who decided it was impossible to stay and chose exile. Some became less visible, keeping their heads down and letting it blow over, fatalistically choosing to do nothing because they felt there was nothing to be done.

    There was a choice to stay but openly defy the authorities, possibly resulting in detention or worse. But also a choice to stay, pay lip service to the regime, and try to undermine it where possible, to prevent regime-aligned people taking up another place. There was also the option to join the regime.

    All these decisions reflect how an individual may imagine the future, with despair for some but for others, a mercurial hope – that a new order will take away the humiliations of the past and bring economic prosperity. Or that the current moment is just an aberration and that this too will pass.

    As a young German officer noted: “I would put up with almost anything if in my lifetime this feeling of defeat could be removed from the German army. I know much is bad in what the Nazis do, but it will not last. It is the sort of thing that happens in revolutions.”

    These descriptions of personal responses to the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany echo what I heard in my research talking to voters across the US leading up to Donald Trump’s re-election. There is economic and social rupture as a result of globalisation, financial crises, the legacies of racism, secularism and an exponentially expanding digital life.

    Emotional drivers emerge, expressed as grievance, shame and humiliation. There is a sense of “losing our country” to an enemy, while precarity and crises are accessed daily in doom-laden echo chambers.

    People try to imagine a future out of this state of perma-crises, one in which they will feel better. There are compromises and trade-offs that have to be made, at times with the added stress of having to make choices on behalf of others, such as children. These are painful struggles that require, at times, holding disparate ideas simultaneously.

    In Darkness Over Germany, Buller showed it was possible for some to “hate the Nazis and love England” while still fighting for Germany, if doing so restored pride and economic security. Likewise in the US today, it is possible to find Trump abhorrent but still vote for him, as some of my interviewees did.

    The slide into authoritarianism isn’t “madness” or “evil”. It rests on millions of individual choices made every day by ordinary people: it is the banal, as philosopher Hannah Arendt pointed out in her work on violence and totalitarianism. It is also exhausting and sometimes dangerous for those living under the strain of compromise, as Buller’s empathetic conversations show.

    Darkness Over Germany is a reminder why such conversations are necessary. Not to condone or to cooperate with authoritarianism, as some recent ill-advised attempts for rapprochement between politicians, media personalities and Maga have shown in the US, but to understand the difficult choices that have to be made at times in order to provide people with alternatives.

    This article is part of a series on democracy and the risk of totalitarianism. Join us to find out more about this topic at a free event in London on May 8. Meet the author and Conversation editors, with food and drink included. Get tickets here.

    Melissa Butcher has received funding from UKRI and the ERC. She is a member of the Green Party.

    – ref. What interviews with ordinary Germans living under the Nazis can teach us about our current politics – https://theconversation.com/what-interviews-with-ordinary-germans-living-under-the-nazis-can-teach-us-about-our-current-politics-255401

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Welsh communities ‘can’t afford to wait longer’ for coal tip restoration

    Source: Party of Wales

    Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Climate Change, Delyth Jewell, has criticised Labour’s delay in bringing forward legislation to ensure safety of disused coal tips in Wales.

    On Tuesday, April 28th, the Senedd will debate the general principles of the long-awaited Disused Mine and Quarry Tips Bill.

    The Plaid Cymru MS has judged Labour Governments both in Westminster and Cardiff Bay. She stated that the “£25 million given by the Treasury last year won’t begin to cover the work that needs to be done” and that the legislation is ‘overdue’, and needs strengthening.

    Plaid Cymru spokesperson on Climate Change, Delyth Jewell MS, said:

    “Wales shouldn’t have to pay to clear coal tips from our valleys – they’re a legacy of Westminster’s neglect over decades, and they should be footing the bill.  The bill that’s before the Senedd, though overdue, is welcome, but I’ll be pushing for changes to strengthen it.

    “Governments at both ends of the M4 have known about the danger of these coal tips for years, and it’s dismaying that it’s taken this long for legislation to be brought forward.  With climate change and increased rainfall worsening the dangers these tips pose, we cannot afford to wait to make these tips safe.  What happened at Cwmtillery last year made that shockingly clear.

    “The legislation is silent on one major issue, which is how much funding we’ll receive from Westminster in the future to clear the tips.  The worry that permeates communities living in the shadow of these tips won’t be lifted until we get clarity on when that vital funding will be confirmed.  The £25 million given by the Treasury last year won’t begin to cover the work that needs to be done.  Wales has already waited decades too long for this money.  Our communities can’t afford to wait any longer.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: We must reinvest in efforts to achieve a two-state solution: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    We must reinvest in efforts to achieve a two-state solution: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.  

    The human cost on October 7th was horrific. And since that day, the hostages have endured unimaginable cruelty, and Palestinians have faced relentless death and destruction.

     We welcome President Abbas’s call for the hostages to be released, and we echo that call. We also need a return to the ceasefire to end the terrible bloodshed. 

    We are deeply concerned by the World Food Programme’s announcement on Friday that its food stocks in Gaza have run out.

    It is unacceptable that Israel has blocked humanitarian support from entering Gaza for nearly two months, meaning that Palestinian civilians, including one million children, are facing starvation, disease and death. 

    UN and other workers must be able to deliver life-saving assistance safely, and in line with humanitarian principles. 

    We are outraged by recent attacks, including the killing of Palestinian Red Crescent workers and the hit on a UN compound on 19th March. Israel has admitted that this was caused by one of their tanks, despite the compound being known to the IDF as a UN humanitarian facility.

     This is inexcusable. 

    We urge Israel to ensure accurate public statements on such grave incidents. It must conduct full and transparent investigations into these incidents, hold those responsible to account and reinstate an effective deconfliction system to prevent such tragedies.  

    President, the UK believes that lasting peace and security can only be achieved through a two-state solution.

    And we thank France and Saudi Arabia for their leadership in preparing for the conference in June. We should build on the Arab plan for Gaza’s future and develop credible security and governance plans acceptable to both Israelis and Palestinians. Hamas must no longer govern Gaza or pose a threat to Israel and we should build the capability of the Palestinian Authority, which will be central to a future State.

     Finally, we must seize the opportunity to build lasting peace across the region. There has been important progress in Lebanon, where the government has committed to crucial reforms, and in Syria, with moves towards an inclusive political transition. 

    The United Kingdom will continue to support the Lebanese and Syrian people to build on this momentum and we urge all parties to avoid destabilising actions and abide by their international obligations. 

    President, a better future in the Middle East is possible.

    To realise it, we must return to a ceasefire in Gaza, reinvest in efforts to achieve a two-state solution and pursue wider normalisation of relationships for the benefit of Palestinians, Israelis, and all those living in the region. I thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Aberdeen pupils to showcase their musical talents in Regensburg

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Pupils and staff representing Aberdeen City Music Service are set to perform in Regensburg this summer to mark the 70th anniversary of the twinning of the two cities.

    Members of the Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee today (29 April) approved the pupils visit to Regensburg, as it will allow them to showcase their musical talents and enjoy the wider cultural experience. It will also further boost the twinning partnership between the two cities.

    The six musical pupils and two members of staff will perform alongside local young musicians and dancers from Regensburg at a special Scottish-Bavarian music event on the evening of Thursday 19 June.

    The official twinning celebrations will continue through to Sunday 22 June and will also see the group perform at the Bürgerfest – the biggest street festival in Regensburg.

    Councillor Martin Greig, the Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “This music visit is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of our city’s twinning arrangement with Regensburg. This is an important partnership link. Our talented pupils will be able to share the joy and goodwill of music making with our friends in Germany. I am delighted that the young people involved can enrich their cultural experiences and bring best wishes from Aberdeen.”

    Councillor Jessica Mennie, Vice-Convener of Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “We are thankful to the Mayor of Regensburg for her wonderful invitation to our young people.  Aberdeen has been twinned with Regensburg for 70 years, which is why it will be lovely to see our pupils being part of the festivities in Bavaria to mark such an important partnership.”

    The group’s participation in the celebrations followed an invitation from the Mayor of Regensburg Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer.

    The pupils will share photographs and video clips of their trip on social media.

    The Committee members also heard that the Music Service is gearing up for Aberdeen Big Sing 2025 next month, and is working with the Education and Language departments in Clement-Ferrand, a French city which is twinned with Aberdeen.

    These reciprocal partnerships enrich pupil learning and allow them to use their language skills.  The proposed trip to Regensburg will help further develop this work with officers from Clement-Ferrand, who will also be in attendance in Regensburg.

    The travel to Regensburg is estimated at £2,500 and will be met via the approved Music Service budget for 2025/26. Hostel accommodation for the six pupils and two Music Service staff has been gifted by the Mayor of Regensburg’s office.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor speech at Innovate Finance Global Summit 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    Chancellor speech at Innovate Finance Global Summit 2025

    The Chancellor delivered the keynote speech at the Innovate Finance Global Summit 2025 on 29 April.

    Thank you Janine, and good afternoon everyone.

    It’s a pleasure to be here today to mark the 11th year of UK FinTech Week …

    … brought together once again by Innovate Finance…

    …who continue to champion tirelessly our FinTech sector.

    As Chancellor, I’ve always said it’s my job to back the builders…

    … back the wealth creators…

    …and the job creators.

    So my job is to back all of you in this room.

    After all, it’s thanks to your work that the UK is a world leader in FinTech.

    When I was working at the Bank of England 20 years ago…

    …FinTech was in its infancy…

    …an offshoot of financial services…

    …and there was certainly no such thing as FinTech week.

    But times have changed, the industry has changed.

    Last year, the UK’s FinTech sector attracted $3.6 billion of investment – more than any other country bar the US.

    Almost half of Europe’s FinTech unicorns are based here in Britain…

    …and roughly a third of all UK unicorns are FinTechs – a higher share than anywhere else.

    Companies like Allica Bank and Zilch, who were both recently named among the fastest growing companies in Europe by the Financial Times …

    …Or Zopa, for whom 2024 marked another year of extraordinary economic growth.

    Last week when I was in Washington for the IMF Spring Meetings…

    … I spoke to industry, legislators, and policymakers…

    …as well as US firms already operating here in the UK.

    I set out our strengths as an open trading nation with trade links around the world…

    …and as a nation that can provide political and financial stability and certainty to businesses…

    …in an uncertain world.

    The UK has a long history of breaking new ground in Financial Services.

    We were the first country to develop uniform Open Banking standards…

    …and we were one of the first countries to establish a system for near-instant digital payments with the Faster payments system in 2008.

    In my Mansion House speech last year, I published the National Payments Vision…

    … setting out the government’s ambition for seamless account-to-account payments…

    …and demonstrating our commitment to a regulatory environment that cares about managing the burden we put on businesses.

    Something that we will build in with the consolidation of the Payment Systems Regulator into the FCA.

    The UK is Europe’s leading hub for investment…

    …raising more equity capital than the next three European exchanges combined last year.

    I am committed to building on these strong foundations…

    …with an ambitious programme of reforms.

    Last September I chose to extend the UK’s generous venture capital schemes…

    … the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust scheme…

    …which – alongside the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme – offer generous tax reliefs…

    …in return for investing in British business.

    And we will soon publish the final Pension Investment Review, ahead of the introduction of the Pension Schemes Bill…

    …where we will legislate to unlock up to £80 billion of investment into companies like yours…

    start-up, scale-up, and fast growing businesses.

    …delivering a major consolidation of the Defined Contribution market and the Local Government Pension Scheme…

    …so that pension funds have sufficient scale to invest in growing industries like FinTech.

    I am determined to make sure that the UK remains one of the best places in the world for FinTechs to start-up, scale-up and to list…

    …benefitting from our stable and liquid markets.

    Last July, the FCA implemented a fundamental rewrite of the UK’s Listing Rules, the biggest reforms in a generation.

    These new rules now put the UK in line – or in many cases ahead – of other global markets in giving companies the flexibility to pursue their growth ambitions…

    …backing their aspiration…

    …and allowing them to raise large amounts of capital more easily.

    And for those companies who want to remain private for longer, we are developing the new Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System – or PISCES…

    …which we will legislate for next month.

    This is a brand new type of stock exchange for trading private company shares…

    …supporting private companies to scale and grow…

    …and providing a steppingstone to IPO.

    Finally, we’ve reformed the rules to allow greater investment research to be produced on UK listed companies…

    …and reducing the burdens imposed on public companies through the UK’s Corporate Governance Code.

    I want the UK to be a place where you can take risks…

    …innovate and experiment…

    …and find new ways to deliver for your customers.

    When I met with senior leaders from across the FinTech sector last month…

    …you told me about the importance of getting the balance of regulation right…

    …especially on digital assets.

    I agree.

    While the UK will always be committed to high international standards…

    …I am determined that our regulatory framework supports economic growth.

    That’s why I’m delighted that we are today publishing draft legislation for the UK’s comprehensive regulatory regime for cryptoassets…

    …engaging with all of you to ensure that the final legislation – planned for later this year – delivers for government and most importantly for the industry…

    …and makes the UK a great place for digital asset companies to invest and innovate.

    For the UK to be a world-leader in digital assets…

    …international cooperation is vital.

    Which is why I discussed continued U.S. and UK engagement with Secretary Bessent last week…

    …including further dialogue at the upcoming UK-U.S. Financial Regulatory Working Group in June…

    …to support the use and responsible growth of digital assets…

    …maintaining the deep historic relationship between the world’s two largest financial centres through this period of significant technological change.

    Regulation must support business, not hold it back.

    Our regulators were among the first to embrace and develop sandboxes…

    …including the Digital Securities Sandbox, where I’m delighted that we already have a broad range of firms all looking at different proposals for tokenising our financial markets.

    Last November, I announced that this government will issue a Digital Gilt Instrument…

    …an entirely new debt instrument…

    …using distributed ledger technology…

    this will enable us to experience first-hand the benefits of digital technologies in debt issuance.

    And I know that there is appetite to go further.

    Last week, Secretary Bessent and I also discussed how our officials could explore opportunities to support industry to innovate cross-border…

    …in line with proposals put forward by US Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce about a transatlantic sandbox for digital securities…

    …potentially allowing greater digital collaboration between capital markets in New York and London.

    I’ve talked about what we’ve already done, and some ideas for the future.

    Financial services is one of the key growth-driving sectors in the UK’s modern industrial strategy…

    ….with FinTech as a priority growth opportunity…

    …and I look forward to publishing the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy at my upcoming Mansion House address…

    …which I can today confirm will take place on the 15th July.

    At Mansion House last year I set out my vision on economic growth…

    …and the new approach required to build sustainable growth…

    …on a platform of stability.

    At Mansion House this year I’ll talk about how we can go further and faster in realising that growth.

    By publishing the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy…

    …I will set out our strategy for the rest of this parliament and beyond…

    …building on our strengths in areas including capital markets, insurance and asset management…

    … supporting firms to innovate by ensuring they can access and develop the talent they need…

     …and promoting the UK as a great place to do business globally.

    Backing the builders in FinTech means improving outcomes for businesses and consumers…

    …revolutionising how we invest and trade…

    And driving growth and prosperity, here in the UK.

    It’s incredible how far Fintech has come in the past decade…

    And I’m enormously optimistic about the future.

    From the huge growth of the sector that has already taken place…

    …to the passion, drive and commitment I see from all of you to make FinTech a huge UK success story…

    …it is clear that our job in government is to back you, back the builders, back the change makers all the way.

    And I am ready to do just that.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Exceptional hardship scheme opens: how to apply

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    A new exceptional hardship scheme has opened offering one-off payments for Portsmouth residents who need help to pay for food, bills and other essentials.

    The Portsmouth City Council-run scheme offers individual payments to families and individuals in extreme hardship. The amount awarded is based on individual circumstances.

    It’s open to Portsmouth households based on income levels who meet other criteria, and who have not received an exceptional hardship payment within the last six months. Full details and how to apply: www.portsmouth.gov.uk/household-support-fund

    People can apply for payments towards groceries and energy costs, as well as essential household purchases like a fridge, freezer and white goods, beds, furniture, vehicle repairs and children’s clothing.

    The first application window is open until 12 noon on Thursday 12 June 2025. The scheme will then reopen for a second window in July.

    Residents are encouraged to check online if they’re eligible, and if they need help to apply to call the council’s cost of living helpline: 023 9284 1047.

    It’s the first of a number of local support schemes to open, funded by the latest Household Support Fund (HSF) from the UK Government. Portsmouth has been given a total of £3,327,922 to use until 31 March 2026.

    At an extraordinary cabinet meeting, councillors were updated on the other HSF schemes coming in stages which will further support those in hardship, including:

    • Living cost payments for targeted groups including pensioners, carers, care leavers, people with disabilities
    • Supermarket food vouchers for children who get free school meals (FSM), and a voucher scheme for low-income families who don’t quality for FSM
    • Extending the successful HAF Fun Pompey holiday activities to low-income families who don’t qualify for FSM
    • Grants for local foodbanks, community meals, larders/pantries so they can continue supporting people
    • Funding to continue the cost of living hub website and helpline, offering free advice and help to apply for benefits and payments for those who need it

    Details of all these application-based schemes will be added to the HSF webpage and promoted before they open.

    Portsmouth City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said:

    “People have just seen a huge hike in many of their bills at a time when prices aren’t getting cheaper. There’s evidence that many local people are in more financial hardship than ever, so it’s essential that we allocate this funding to those who most need it.

    “I strongly encourage people to check if they qualify for payment schemes when they open, as well as other benefits, and to contact our cost of living hub for any help.”

    Nearly three-quarters of Portsmouth residents (72%) are finding it quite or very difficult to manage financially, from those who completed a cost of living survey in September 2024. Just over half of respondents have a household income of less than £10,000, and a further 38% earn between £10,000 and £20,000.

    With thousands of Portsmouth residents still not receiving benefit payments like Pension Credit despite being eligible, the council continues to support people to apply through the helpline.

    • Visit the cost of living hub website or call the free helpline 023 9284 1047, open weekdays 9am-5pm (closes 4.30pm Fridays)
    • Find out how to lower your energy bills at Switched on Portsmouth and check if you qualify for a free home energy visit

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New posters promoting button battery safety

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    New posters promoting button battery safety

    New posters promoting button battery safety provide 5 top tips to keep children safe.

    The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is sharing new posters which can be downloaded and shared by stakeholders to promote button battery safety and awareness.

    These posters feature top tips that have been developed through collaboration with accident prevention charities, clinicians, manufacturers, online marketplaces and trade associations. 1.

    They warn parents about the risks of button batteries and provide 5 top tips to keep children safe:   

    • Look around your home for button batteries. Think toys, lights, remote controls and more.
    • Check for products with loose backs and button batteries that have dropped out.
    • Store button batteries in a safe place, up high and out of your child’s reach.
    • Dispose of used button batteries as soon as you can. They are still unsafe.
    • Act if you think your child may have swallowed a button battery, go straight to A&E or call an ambulance.

    Used button batteries should not be disposed of in the household rubbish. They should be dropped off for recycling at a collection point at a supermarket, or any other big shop that sells over 32 kg of batteries a year.

    Find out more about button battery safety – Child Accident Prevention Trust website

    1. The button battery top tips were produced by a working group chaired by the Child Accident Prevention Trust with representatives from Amazon, Amdea, Alibaba, British Retail Consortium, British and Irish Portable Battery Association, British Standards Institution, Chartered Trading Standards Institute, eBay, Electrical Safety First, Energizer, Etsy, OPSS and RoSPA and representatives from local authority trading standards services.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appeal to find relatives of local Second World War hero John Baskeyfield

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Tuesday, 29th April 2025

    An appeal has been launched to find relatives of Burslem’s Second World War hero, Lance Sergeant John Baskeyfield.

    The Burslem hero was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his remarkable courage during the largest airborne landing in military history – into Nazi-occupied Netherlands.  

    During the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, Lance Sergeant Baskeyfield, known as Jack, single-handedly manned two anti-tank guns and refused to leave his post. 

    Jack was a very dear friend of George and Anne Price. Their grandson, Andrew Felton, is trying to find relatives of the war hero who was killed at the age of 21, ahead of events Stoke-on-Trent City Council is planning around Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day to commemorate Mr Baskeyfield. 

    Mr Felton said: “My Grandad George and Nana Anne spoke often about Jack, and always with deep affection and reverence. 

    “I never forgot their stories, which sparked my interest in his incredible bravery at Arnhem during World War II. 

    “A few years ago, I started researching Jack’s remarkable service in the South Staffordshire Regiment after he signed up aged 19. 

    “Last September, I travelled to the Netherlands to join the 80th anniversary commemorations of Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem. 

    “It was very sobering and humbling visiting the places I had read about where so many brave men fell. Walking from the John Frost Bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem to where Jack had last stood in Oosterbeek, commemorated by the Jack Baskeyfield Tree, was hugely poignant. 

    “It would be wonderful to trace any of Jack’s relatives so they can join the special events being planned to honour this very special man during the City Centenary year.” 

    Councillor Lyn Sharpe, Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, said: “Our city is proud of Lance Sergeant John Baskeyfield. His bravery will never be forgotten in Stoke-on-Trent and beyond. 

    “We hope any relatives can be found so they can be part of the special events we’re holding later this year in his memory.” 

    The events in November are expected to include an expanded exhibition in the Spitfire Gallery at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery with items Jack’s family gifted to the Staffordshire Regiment Museum, and an Act of Remembrance at the Jack Baskeyfield memorial at Festival Retail Park. 

    Any relatives can email sot100@stoke.gov.uk to find out more about the event. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor speech at Global Innovate Summit 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Chancellor speech at Global Innovate Summit 2025

    The Chancellor delivered the keynote speech at the Global Innovate Summit 2025 on 29 April.

    Thank you Janine, and good afternoon everyone.

    It’s a pleasure to be here today to mark the 11th year of UK FinTech Week …

    … brought together once again by Innovate Finance…

    …who continue to champion tirelessly our FinTech sector.

    As Chancellor, I’ve always said it’s my job to back the builders…

    … back the wealth creators…

    …and the job creators.

    So my job is to back all of you in this room.

    After all, it’s thanks to your work that the UK is a world leader in FinTech.

    When I was working at the Bank of England 20 years ago…

    …FinTech was in its infancy…

    …an offshoot of financial services…

    …and there was certainly no such thing as FinTech week.

    But times have changed, the industry has changed.

    Last year, the UK’s FinTech sector attracted $3.6 billion of investment – more than any other country bar the US.

    Almost half of Europe’s FinTech unicorns are based here in Britain…

    …and roughly a third of all UK unicorns are FinTechs – a higher share than anywhere else.

    Companies like Allica Bank and Zilch, who were both recently named among the fastest growing companies in Europe by the Financial Times …

    …Or Zopa, for whom 2024 marked another year of extraordinary economic growth.

    Last week when I was in Washington for the IMF Spring Meetings…

    … I spoke to industry, legislators, and policymakers…

    …as well as US firms already operating here in the UK.

    I set out our strengths as an open trading nation with trade links around the world…

    …and as a nation that can provide political and financial stability and certainty to businesses…

    …in an uncertain world.

    The UK has a long history of breaking new ground in Financial Services.

    We were the first country to develop uniform Open Banking standards…

    …and we were one of the first countries to establish a system for near-instant digital payments with the Faster payments system in 2008.

    In my Mansion House speech last year, I published the National Payments Vision…

    … setting out the government’s ambition for seamless account-to-account payments…

    …and demonstrating our commitment to a regulatory environment that cares about managing the burden we put on businesses.

    Something that we will build in with the consolidation of the Payment Systems Regulator into the FCA.

    The UK is Europe’s leading hub for investment…

    …raising more equity capital than the next three European exchanges combined last year.

    I am committed to building on these strong foundations…

    …with an ambitious programme of reforms.

    Last September I chose to extend the UK’s generous venture capital schemes…

    … the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust scheme…

    …which – alongside the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme – offer generous tax reliefs…

    …in return for investing in British business.

    And we will soon publish the final Pension Investment Review, ahead of the introduction of the Pension Schemes Bill…

    …where we will legislate to unlock up to £80 billion of investment into companies like yours…

    start-up, scale-up, and fast growing businesses.

    …delivering a major consolidation of the Defined Contribution market and the Local Government Pension Scheme…

    …so that pension funds have sufficient scale to invest in growing industries like FinTech.

    I am determined to make sure that the UK remains one of the best places in the world for FinTechs to start-up, scale-up and to list…

    …benefitting from our stable and liquid markets.

    Last July, the FCA implemented a fundamental rewrite of the UK’s Listing Rules, the biggest reforms in a generation.

    These new rules now put the UK in line – or in many cases ahead – of other global markets in giving companies the flexibility to pursue their growth ambitions…

    …backing their aspiration…

    …and allowing them to raise large amounts of capital more easily.

    And for those companies who want to remain private for longer, we are developing the new Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System – or PISCES…

    …which we will legislate for next month.

    This is a brand new type of stock exchange for trading private company shares…

    …supporting private companies to scale and grow…

    …and providing a steppingstone to IPO.

    Finally, we’ve reformed the rules to allow greater investment research to be produced on UK listed companies…

    …and reducing the burdens imposed on public companies through the UK’s Corporate Governance Code.

    I want the UK to be a place where you can take risks…

    …innovate and experiment…

    …and find new ways to deliver for your customers.

    When I met with senior leaders from across the FinTech sector last month…

    …you told me about the importance of getting the balance of regulation right…

    …especially on digital assets.

    I agree.

    While the UK will always be committed to high international standards…

    …I am determined that our regulatory framework supports economic growth.

    That’s why I’m delighted that we are today publishing draft legislation for the UK’s comprehensive regulatory regime for cryptoassets…

    …engaging with all of you to ensure that the final legislation – planned for later this year – delivers for government and most importantly for the industry…

    …and makes the UK a great place for digital asset companies to invest and innovate.

    For the UK to be a world-leader in digital assets…

    …international cooperation is vital.

    Which is why I discussed continued U.S. and UK engagement with Secretary Bessent last week…

    …including further dialogue at the upcoming UK-U.S. Financial Regulatory Working Group in June…

    …to support the use and responsible growth of digital assets…

    …maintaining the deep historic relationship between the world’s two largest financial centres through this period of significant technological change.

    Regulation must support business, not hold it back.

    Our regulators were among the first to embrace and develop sandboxes…

    …including the Digital Securities Sandbox, where I’m delighted that we already have a broad range of firms all looking at different proposals for tokenising our financial markets.

    Last November, I announced that this government will issue a Digital Gilt Instrument…

    …an entirely new debt instrument…

    …using distributed ledger technology…

    this will enable us to experience first-hand the benefits of digital technologies in debt issuance.

    And I know that there is appetite to go further.

    Last week, Secretary Bessent and I also discussed how our officials could explore opportunities to support industry to innovate cross-border…

    …in line with proposals put forward by US Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce about a transatlantic sandbox for digital securities…

    …potentially allowing greater digital collaboration between capital markets in New York and London.

    I’ve talked about what we’ve already done, and some ideas for the future.

    Financial services is one of the key growth-driving sectors in the UK’s modern industrial strategy…

    ….with FinTech as a priority growth opportunity…

    …and I look forward to publishing the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy at my upcoming Mansion House address…

    …which I can today confirm will take place on the 15th July.

    At Mansion House last year I set out my vision on economic growth…

    …and the new approach required to build sustainable growth…

    …on a platform of stability.

    At Mansion House this year I’ll talk about how we can go further and faster in realising that growth.

    By publishing the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy…

    …I will set out our strategy for the rest of this parliament and beyond…

    …building on our strengths in areas including capital markets, insurance and asset management…

    … supporting firms to innovate by ensuring they can access and develop the talent they need…

     …and promoting the UK as a great place to do business globally.

    Backing the builders in FinTech means improving outcomes for businesses and consumers…

    …revolutionising how we invest and trade…

    And driving growth and prosperity, here in the UK.

    It’s incredible how far Fintech has come in the past decade…

    And I’m enormously optimistic about the future.

    From the huge growth of the sector that has already taken place…

    …to the passion, drive and commitment I see from all of you to make FinTech a huge UK success story…

    …it is clear that our job in government is to back you, back the builders, back the change makers all the way.

    And I am ready to do just that.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives re-open to public

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Local history enthusiasts are being encouraged to book a visit to ‘Explore Your Archive’ as Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives re-opens today (29 April) for in-person research visits at the Town House on Broad Street.
     
    The Archives have been closed to the public for almost a year to allow the team to carry out a major collection move from Old Aberdeen House to the Town House. Preparations began in November 2023 with a huge stocktake of the collection, when staff and a group of 20 volunteers recorded details of every item in every storeroom. One of the most formidable tasks was labelling over 7,000 individual boxes. The preparations also included checking that delicate items would be suitable for transportation, and wrapping and protecting a wide variety of materials, including glass slides from Second World War Red Cross hospitals, maps, oversized volumes and ledgers, and thousands of architectural plans.

    Over 9,000 individual items, including archive boxes, bankers boxes, crates, wrapped volumes and plans, were moved over 20 days of heavy lifting, multiple trolley loads and several flights of stairs – all fuelled by 136 packs of biscuits! Volunteers logged 1,549 hours helping with the move.

    The largest tasks for volunteers was an appraisal of 120 files of Aberdeen School Board correspondence sent from teachers and Aberdeen residents in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Volunteers reviewed and listed the bundles of letters, reducing the collection from seven storage shelves to two, using professional criteria to weed out items of little historic value. Detailed information on the collection of letters has been recorded in the Archives catalogue and the material is available to researchers.

    A new storeroom at the Town House is now home to several core collections, such as the school admission registers and logbooks, building warrants, council minutes for Aberdeenshire and the Port of Aberdeen records (Aberdeen Harbour Board). A selection of photographic images from this collection showing the technological changes that have taken place on the quayside over the past 100 years will be going on display at the Art Gallery from Saturday 7 June.  

    Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council culture spokesman, said, “The Archives are a valuable resource for all kinds of research. It’s a tremendous source of pride for us in Aberdeen that we care for the oldest and most complete collection of burgh records in Scotland, dating back to 1398. They are recognised by UNESCO as being of outstanding historical importance to the United Kingdom. It’s very exciting that the Archives team has set up a new storeroom at the Town House where the public can access these remarkable collections, which really are a the gateway to the written history of the north-east of Scotland.”
      
    A new Access Guide to the Archives at the Town House is now available, along with a new Visual Guide containing details of what to expect on a visit to the Archives at the Town House. Both can be found on the Plan Your Visit pages of the Archives, Gallery & Museums website https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/plan-your-visit/town-house-archives 

    Phil Astley, Team Leader – Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives, will be giving a free lunchtime talk on the Port of Aberdeen archives – ‘A Haven for History’ on Wednesday 7 May at 12.30pm. 
    https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/whats-aberdeen-art-galleries-and-museums/lunchtime-talk-haven-history-port-aberdeen-archives 

    From the Archive: Aberdeen Harbour opens at Aberdeen Art Gallery on 7 June. The exhibition continues until 11 January, open daily, admission free https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/whats-aberdeen-art-galleries-and-museums/archive-aberdeen-harbour

    The collections of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives contain a wealth of documents and records dating from the 12th century to the present day, relating to the rich history and heritage of the City of Aberdeen and the three ancient counties of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine. They include burgh records, burial records, church records, business records and school records. 
     
    Visits to the Archives should be booked in advance by emailing archives@aberdeencity.gov.uk. More information can be found at: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/aberdeen-city-and-aberdeenshire-archives/visitor-information  
      
    Read about the Archives move at https://aberdeenarchives.blogspot.com/ 

    Follow Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest news about reopening. 

    Image: Phil Astley, Team Leader – Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives, and  Councillor Martin Greig, pictured in the Charter Room at the Town House
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Universal Periodic Review 49: UK Statement on Lao People’s Democratic Republic

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Universal Periodic Review 49: UK Statement on Lao People’s Democratic Republic

    Statement by the UK’s Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN, Eleanor Sanders, at Lao PDR’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

    Thank you Mr Vice President.

    The United Kingdom welcomes the Lao PDR’s engagement with UN human rights mechanisms and its efforts to address human rights challenges. We are pleased with the inclusion of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Laos’ action plans.

    However, the UK remains concerned over restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and religion. We are also concerned by limited land rights for vulnerable communities and the worsening issue of human trafficking linked to serious organised crime.

    We urge the Government to act on these issues and uphold its international obligations. In particular, we recommend that Laos;

    1. Takes immediate steps to protect and promote civic space, ensuring that all individuals can freely exercise their rights without fear of reprisal.

    2. Ensures that development projects respect the rights of affected communities, including noting the principle of free, prior and informed consent.

    3. Implements its international obligations under the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children and to collaborate with regional and international partners to address this issue.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Latest statement on electrical substation fire | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    A Westminster City Council spokesperson said:

    “We have been supporting around 40 residents since they were evacuated from their homes early this morning. Two rest centres were immediately set up to provide residents with refreshments and support from housing and welfare officers. We will continue to offer support until those affected can return to their homes.”

     Information about road closures and available support can be found here.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New cryptoasset rules to drive growth and protect consumers

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    New cryptoasset rules to drive growth and protect consumers

    Changes support innovation while cracking down on fraudsters

    • Clear new rules to give investors confidence and protect consumers
    • Chancellor also reveals discussions with US about supporting the use and responsible growth of digital assets, as Government works in national interest to drive growth through Plan for Change

    Firms offering services for cryptoassets like Bitcoin and Ethereum will be subject to new, clear rules, boosting investor confidence and driving growth through the Plan for Change.  

    At a major summit in London to mark UK Fintech Week, the Chancellor revealed that the UK has published draft legislation for regulating cryptoassets – better protecting millions of people across Britain. 

    Around 12% of UK adults now own or have owned crypto, up from just 4% in 2021. But too often, consumers have been left exposed to risky firms and scams. 

    Under the new rules, crypto exchanges, dealers and agents will be brought into the regulatory perimeter — cracking down on bad actors while supporting legitimate innovation.  Crypto firms with UK customers will also have to meet clear standards on transparency, consumer protection, and operational resilience — just like firms in traditional finance. 

    The Chancellor also revealed that the UK and US will use the upcoming UK – U.S. Financial Regulatory Working Group to continue engagement to support the use and responsible growth of digital assets.  

    This follows discussions in Washington between the Chancellor and the US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, where they also discussed opportunities to support businesses to innovate on both sides of the Atlantic. This includes looking at ideas for how we could allow for greater collaboration on digital securities between the UK and US, including the proposals put forward by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce for a transatlantic sandbox for digital securities. 

    Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:

    Through our Plan for Change, we are making Britain the best place in the world to innovate — and the safest place for consumers. Robust rules around crypto will boost investor confidence, support the growth of Fintech and protect people across the UK.

    Today’s announcement sends a clear signal: Britain is open for business — but closed to fraud, abuse, and instability.  

    The Chancellor also announced that the government will publish the first-ever Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy on 15 July, alongside her Mansion House speech. This will support the financial services sector’s long term growth, with Fintech identified as a priority sector, and help it finance investment and growth across the UK. 

    The government will bring forward final cryptoasset legislation at the earliest opportunity, following engagement on the draft provisions with industry. 

    More information

    • The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) consumer research found that around 12% of UK adults owned crypto in 2024, up from 4% in 2021.
    • The 2023 Treasury consultation proposed bringing a wide range of cryptoasset activities — including exchanges and custody services — within the UK’s financial services regulatory perimeter.
    • The government remains committed to making the UK a global hub for digital asset technologies, aligned with the Plan for Change to drive growth, innovation and security.
    • Read the draft legislation and accompanying policy explainer.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The treasure of trusteeship

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The treasure of trusteeship

    David Holdsworth delivers speech at Trustee Exchange 2025.

    Good afternoon. 

    I’m delighted to join so many of you here today at the annual Trustee Exchange.  

    This is the event in the calendar dedicated to promoting and developing trustees, and I’d like to extend my thanks to Civil Society for once again bringing us all together.  

    Because, put simply, without you, there would be no charity sector.  

    What you achieve – individually and collectively – for society, is nothing short of staggering. 

    A figure used a lot is £94 billion.

    That’s the annual turnover of the charity sector in England and Wales.

    It’s a huge figure – so huge that it’s hard to really imagine what that means, on the ground, in people’s lives. 

    Well – it means game-changing medical trials – like the one recently funded by the charity Spinal Research – a paralysed woman regaining the use of her hands so that she can now brush her young daughter’s hair.

    It means that the osprey – that magnificent bird of prey – which was once driven to near extinction in the UK – is now thriving, with over 250 nesting pairs living in Britain today. 

    It means that 30 million more people across the world now have access to a safe, working toilet. 

    It means that families with seriously ill children in hospital can stay close by in free, purpose-built accommodation. 

    And it means that, on average, two lives are saved at sea every single day by RNLI volunteers.   

    These a just a few examples of what has been made possible by the charity sector, and the steadfast custodianship of its trustees.  

    So please, take a moment to reflect on your own contribution to the countless and varied achievements of charities across the years.  

    I can assure you, your work does not go unnoticed by us or the public. 

    So ensuring the Commission supports you as trustees in maximising your charities’ impact is vital – and that’s what I want to discuss today. 

    It won’t come as news to you that the entire charitable sector is scaffolded by the enthusiasm, generosity, and capability of its trustees. 

    So making trusteeship an attractive prospect – both for current trustees, and for new recruits – is absolutely vital for us. 

    I’ve been in post at the Charity Commission now for nine months, and in this time have had the pleasure of visiting a great range of charities in England and Wales.  

    I don’t need to tell anyone here today that times remain challenging for the sector as a whole. 

    Charities are on the front line, dealing with the fall out from unpredictable global politics and shifting world orders. 

    From providing aid in warzones such as Ukraine and the Middle East, to running vital services here in the UK, the sector consistently steps in to meet need – wherever it finds it. 

    All the while, charities continue to grapple with higher running costs, a challenging environment for fundraising and increasing demand for their services. 

    In the face of these challenges, many trustees are being forced to make difficult decisions about the future of their charity.  

    Against this backdrop, you might assume morale among the charities I’ve visited would be low.   

    But I’ve found the opposite to be true.  

    The trustees I’ve spoken to are realistic about the challenges they face, but overwhelmingly optimistic about the resilience of their charity to weather them.  

    They are the embodiment of public spirit.  

    Trustee research 

    Just today we have published the results our new research with ProBono Economics into the experience of trustees in England and Wales.  

    It found that the vast majority of trustees are immensely positive about their experience. Something that you and most of us who are or have been trustees of course already knew. 

    They reported multiple benefits from their role, ranging from professional benefits to a greater sense of personal connection, purpose and fulfilment.  

    Eight in ten trustees would be likely to recommend the role to others.

    Most trustees feel positive about board dynamics, and their relationships with staff. 

    Most report feeling that they are having a positive impact on the world, and that they’re more connected to their community as a result. 

    One in three said that their role expanded their social circle.  

    And the benefits don’t stop there. 

    Trustees who are still of working age found that the role supported their career development, while two thirds of trustees said they enjoyed the opportunity to use their skills in a new context. 

    More than half have served on their boards for four years or more, underlining the loyalty and dedication of many trustees.   

    The full report – which I’d encourage you to read on our website – gives us a detailed snapshot of the sector and includes useful information about the demographics of trusteeship. 

    We are seeing positive movement towards gender parity, with 43% of trustees now being female. 

    This represents a welcome shift from our last research in 2017, when just 36% were women. So more to do, but progress.  

    Over half of all trustees are retired, with the average age being 65.  

    Although there are proportionately fewer younger people involved in trusteeship, for those who do, there seem to be multiple benefits.

    Over half of trustees under 30 said that their role supported their career development.  

    White people are overrepresented on charity boards compared to their proportion of the overall population, and by that same measure, there are fewer trustees from ethnic minorities as compared with the national average.  

    This is a challenge we need to collectively address, but again, as with the gender breakdown, there are some positives to take away from the new research.  

    For example, there are proportionally more Black trustees aged under 60 than in the general under age 60 population (7% compared to 5%), indicating that we are seeing the green shoots of a move towards greater ethnic parity among trustees.  

    Which is not to say there isn’t active work the sector needs to undertake to address the challenge! 

    Reassuringly, of the trustees we spoke to, the vast majority reported feeling confident in their role. 

    More than nine in ten reported understanding their roles and responsibilities (95%) and feeling qualified to fulfil them (93%).    

    However, the findings suggest some boards could benefit from more people with certain skills or expertise.  

    A quarter of respondents reported accessing legal expertise externally, suggesting a possible lack of relevant skills at board level.   

    While most trustees report their board had significant finance skills and experience, this was also the skillset with the second greatest reliance on external sources.    

    Elsewhere, only a quarter of boards reported any significant experience in marketing, campaigning and anti-fraud skills. 

    Collectively, these findings demonstrate the importance of helping charities to recruit people with a broader range of skills, backgrounds and experience – ultimately strengthening their charity’s governance. 

    While we must always work collectively on ensuring the pipeline of trustees remains flowing, I don’t accept there is any kind of ‘crisis’ in trusteeship.  

    Of the 60 million people in England and Wales, more than 800,000 are trustees. 

    And this figure has remained broadly stable over time.   

    So, as the old saying goes, you really are never more than 6 feet away from a charity trustee.  

    And, casting the Commission as Pied Piper – in this analogy that I’m beginning to regret – we want to lead trustees on the path to good governance. 

    Because, although trustees are plentiful, our work at the Commission does indicate that there are charities on the register with a smaller number of trustees on their board – around 11% of charities have fewer than three trustees, according to our 2023 Annual Returns.  

    Although this does not necessarily mean they are inquorate, very small trustee boards can have the potential to increase risk factors relating to dominance, lack of independence and conflicts of interest.     

    This, along with the skills gaps within existing boards, demonstrates the continued need for widening the base of trustees.  

    Along with the sector, it’s vital that we respond to these findings and help inspire a pipeline of people willing to serve as volunteer trustees into the future. 

    The big question, then, is how? 

    Widening access to trusteeship 

    In this space, it would be remiss of me not to mention the sad demise of Getting on Board last year.  

    For twenty years, the organisation played a vital role in encouraging new talent into trusteeship and its contribution will be sorely missed in the sector. 

    We must all take up this mantle, and work proactively to encourage others to become trustees. 

    Because, in fact, the very best advert for trusteeship is you.  

    Most of you tend to be quite shy about the amazing work you do – after all, it’s simply not very British to shout our achievements from the rooftops is it? 

    But one of the best ways to encourage trusteeship is by being a walking, talking advert for the role.  

    By being more open – talking more – and celebrating the amazing work you do, you can publicly demonstrate the opportunities trusteeship presents. 

    Don’t underestimate the power of your own story. 

    We also know that there is work to be done on improving trustee recruitment practices, so that new wells of talent can be tapped. 

    The new data from PBE suggests that most charities rely strongly on their existing networks to recruit trustees.  

    One in three charity trustees was asked to join the board directly by the Chair, while only 6% of trustee recruitment came from advertising. 

    Of course, informal networking and personal recommendations can be invaluable, especially when charities are stretched for time. 

    But this may come at the expense of casting the net wider, to recruit trustees who could bring different skills and perspectives to the board. 

    Looking beyond existing supporter bases, with fair and open recruitment practices, will help the sector engage a broader pool of trustee talent. 

    To help charities with this endeavour, we’ll be publishing refreshed guidance on finding new trustees – CC30 – in the coming months.  

    We’ll be providing updated advice around the recruitment process and how to recruit further afield. Reach Volunteering’s digital platform being a great tool, for example, especially as its services are offered free of charge for smaller charities.  

    Please, do take five minutes to read it and think about the ways in which you can apply the guidance in your own charity. 

    The Voluntary Principle 

    I know that for some, one solution to recruitment difficulties would be to pay trustees for their service, thereby attracting a wider range of candidates to roles. 

    In fact, our director of policy and communications, Paul Latham, took part in a panel discussion on the matter here at Trustee Exchange this morning. 

    One argument for paying for trustees is that it would broaden the role’s appeal, particularly amongst currently underrepresented groups. 

    But, according to research from the volunteer recruitment charity Reach, the data shows that for age, ethnicity, gender and sexuality this does not hold true.  

    Voluntary service has proven to be no barrier to diversity when it comes to trustee recruitment. 

    At this point, I would like to be clear, however, that no one should feel as though they can’t afford to participate in trusteeship.  

    And that is one reason we’ve also published a new, separate guide on trustee expenses. 

    The Commission is clear that expenses do not constitute trustee ‘payments’ and that trustees are entitled to have their reasonable expenses reimbursed by the charity. 

    This can include childcare, travel costs and meals when acting on behalf of their charity. 

    In this way, trustees can undertake their voluntary duties without worrying that that it will put them out of pocket.    

    But while we heard some cogent arguments in favour of paying trustees at the panel today, to my mind, none can truly stand up to what’s at stake here.  

    Which is why I want to be very clear – it’s the Commission’s belief that voluntary trusteeship underpins the public’s trust in charity. 

    And public trust is particularly important when you consider the fact that charities in England and Wales rely on public donations of almost 60 billion every year.

    The research consistently backs this up.  

    Charity trust is currently at a 10-year high – and time and again we are told that what matters most to people is knowing how their donation is spent. 

    Rightly or wrongly, the public’s positive perception of charity is intrinsically linked with the concept of voluntary service, of doing good for others, not to gain financially, but in return for the personal rewards I mentioned earlier. 

    In our research into public trust in charities in 2023, most people said they were more inclined to trust a charity run by volunteers, than one run by paid professionals.  

    Put simply, voluntary trusteeship is the lynchpin of the public’s trust in charity – and we must guard it fiercely.  

    We already know that the vast majority of trustees undertake their duties voluntarily.  

    There are an incredible 800,000 trustees on our register, filling almost a million trustee positions. Of those, only a very small proportion receive any kind of payment. 

    Last year, fewer than one in ten charities declared they were paying trustees, and in most of these cases, it was for providing goods or services. 

    But some charities will be faced with decisions about whether to pay one or more trustee, whether for the role itself or as payment for goods and services. It is vital that charities get these decisions right, and boards fulfil legal duties and responsibilities carefully. 

    We’ve recently refreshed and revised our guidance on the topic – CC11 – with the aim of making it easier for trustees to know what is expected of them when making this decision. 

    Conclusion  

    But as I draw to a close, I want to return my focus to the present – and to the three quarters of a million-strong community of trustees that we currently have on our register.   

    As our research released today has shown, it’s a role like no other – one that asks a lot of its incumbent – but also one that repays this effort with interest. 

    What you all have built, in your individual organisations, and as civic society – is truly remarkable. 

    It must be nurtured, cherished and defended. 

    And with your dedication, commitment and public spirit, I can’t think of a better group to do so.  

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) v1.1

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    News story

    Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) v1.1

    An updated version of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) is available.

    An updated version of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM), referred to as v1.1, has been published on GOV.UK.

    RAM v1.1 has been created following feedback from industry on RAM v1, which was published on 23 December 2024.  

    Simplifications informed by the value chain  

    PackUK carried out a RAM simplification sprint in February 2025. The aim of the sprint was to reduce complexity of the RAM and increase the viability of producers being able to fully complete RAM assessments in 2025.   

    The sprint involved gathering feedback on the first iteration of the RAM and offering up simplifications, which have been incorporated into the newly released v1.1.  

    The sprint was positively received by industry. A broad range of stakeholders contributed a variety of comments and content suggestions for v1.1, including targeted feedback from retailers and brands with large and complex product portfolios.      

    The suggestions were cross-referenced against industry standards and technical feedback was sought from industry material associations to ensure accuracy and consistency.     

    On 8 April 2025, PackUK sent a final technical draft of RAM v1.1 out to packaging producers. The technical draft aimed to provide stakeholders with as much lead in time as possible, ensuring they can apply the guidance in 2025.     

    What this means

    The RAM methodology will enable large packaging producers to assess the recyclability of their household packaging and produce a red/amber/green output which will inform the level of fee modulation payable for that material from year 2 of pEPR.  

    Producers are required to apply the methodology for household packaging placed on the market from 1 January 2025, with the first reporting deadline being 1 October 2025.   

    Only large producers (also known as ‘large organisations’) must report their recyclability assessment data. Find out about small and large producers.  

    You only need to collect and report recyclability assessment data if you are responsible for household packaging.  

    Join the Circular Economy stakeholder forum   

    At the May stakeholder forum, we will deliver a presentation on RAM v1.1. There will also be an opportunity for stakeholders to ask in-depth questions and relay feedback.   

    • date: Tuesday 6 May 2025  

    • time: 2:30pm to 4pm  

    • registration: Please register for the forum on Microsoft Teams Live  

    Please direct any questions about RAM v1.1 to the EPRCustomerService@defra.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘sacramental shame’ many LGBTQ+ conservative Christians wrestle with – and how they find healing

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dawne Moon, Professor of Social and Cultural Sciences, Marquette University

    Not all LGBTQ+ Christians belong to congregations that support that aspect of their identity. D-Keine/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Kai found Jesus as a teenager. A person of white and Hawaiian descent, Kai now goes by gender-neutral pronouns and identifies as “māhū,” the traditional Hawaiian term for someone in-between masculine and feminine. But when they first became Christian, the high-schooler identified as gay – and was committed to celibacy.

    Kai – a pseudonym to protect their privacy – embraced their church’s “welcoming but not affirming” teachings about LGBTQ+ people, agreeing that same-sex intimacy was incompatible with being Christian. It felt good to be sacrificing for the Lord, Kai recalls. But they eventually realized they were harming themself.

    “I found myself unconsciously shutting down connection,” Kai told us. “Inside, I was crumbling in every moment because I was so fervently policing myself.”

    Kai believed – and their church taught – that God’s own love is a gift, freely given. Nevertheless, they still felt that to be worthy of that love, Kai had to “surrender” their orientation and need for emotional connection, even with friends.

    “It took me a long time to be able to look back on that and say, ‘Those were days when I hated myself,’” Kai said. “I hated myself for the sake of demonstrating how much I loved God.”

    Kai began to reflect on what it meant to be Christian and concluded that Jesus didn’t have a problem with same-sex marriage, or gender beyond clear ideas of “male” and “female.” Christian “friends” quietly cut Kai out of their lives.

    As a sociologist and a philosopher, we’ve worked together to understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ conservative Christians. Kai’s story illustrates a dynamic that in our 2025 book, “Choosing Love,” we call “sacramental shame.”

    In Christianity, the word “sacrament” often refers to a particular rite, like baptism, that provides a tangible sign of God’s presence. Many of the LGBTQ+ Christians we spoke with felt that conservative congregations expected them to demonstrate shame for their identity to prove they hadn’t turned their backs on God – that God was still present in their lives.

    Weight of shame

    Some Protestant denominations fully affirm LGBTQ+ identities, same-sex marriage and gender transition, and other churches are split.

    Two women at a church in Suffolk, England, on Dec. 17, 2023, after blessings for same-sex couples were approved for Church of England services.
    Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images

    But when we learned that LGBTQ+ people and their allies were advocating for change in conservative churches, we wanted to hear their stories.

    In interviews and fieldwork, LGBTQ+ evangelicals told us that their churches often treated being cisgender and straight as though it were more important than the Ten Commandments. In some congregations, being LGBTQ+ is treated as an especially grave sin. But since people can’t change their sexual orientation or gender identity at will, treating these things as sins creates an experience of endless shame.

    In the “sacramental shame” dynamic, churches require LGBTQ+ people to feel and display shame as the sign that they have not rejected God. Their churches, families and friends more or less require them to act as though their very capacity to love others, and to recognize the truth about themselves, is a danger to the people they love.

    As one person recalled, “there were a lot of [friends] that I cut off. And I thought I was endangering them. I thought that I was going to poison them.”

    Feeling unworthy of the love of God and other people can make people feel like their lives are not worth living. We heard about countless struggles with addiction, depression and suicide attempts – and sometimes even physical symptoms, like unexplained asthma attacks or autoimmune disorders that developed as LGBTQ+ people wrestled with the stress of trying fervently to be worthy of love.

    Queer Christians of color

    Sacramental shame isn’t easy for anyone, but often it can be more complicated for Black or Indigenous Christians and other Christians of color. In part, that’s because centuries-old racist tropes often depict minority groups in a sexualized way, as “promiscuous” or “exotic.” Not wanting to affirm those stereotypes can make it harder for LGBTQ+ Christians of color to navigate life.

    Kai, like many Christians, was drawn to the faith’s message of love and justice for the oppressed. Religion can offer support and strength for dealing with the realities of racism. But that can sometimes turn into a pressure to disprove racism by behaving as “respectably” as possible.

    LGBTQ+ Christians who are people of color sometimes feel added pressure.
    bojanstory/E+ via Getty Images

    A Black, bisexual pastor we’ll call Imani grew up in a church that quietly supported LGBTG+ people, but she never knew it. As a young person, Imani worried that her own sexuality might cause trouble for her mother, who had already been through a lot:

    I was scared of embarrassing my mother. … All I could think about was the swirling doom that would be, if people found out. … I never even thought for a second that it was an option.

    Some white respondents, too, feared that coming out would embarrass their parents. But for Imani, silence about her sexuality seemed necessary to protect the Black community’s respectability, as well as her family’s belonging in the church.

    We also met Darren: a Black, gay man who was urged to try to fight being gay. His pastor’s ideas about how to “fix” Darren involved having him live in an out-of-state church building for four years, sleeping on the altar and fasting two days a week.

    It ended when Darren heard Christ telling him to stop hiding from life. So he went home, and his pastor told the church not to talk to him.

    Shifting views

    Some conservative Christians, including allies who aren’t LGBTQ+, are starting to change the conversation – and their own views.

    In 2024, New Testament scholar Richard Hays and his son Christopher Hays drew ire from some fellow evangelicals by publishing a book arguing that God’s mercy creates room in the church for LGBTQ+ people. Before them, evangelical leaders such as Tony Campolo, David Gushee and James Brownson had also changed their minds.

    Leaders or laypeople who have rethought the issue often pointed out to us that Jesus said all of the Ten Commandments come down to loving God and your neighbor. Some said their views began to shift when they remembered to exercise humility, realizing that they might not know everything about gender, sexuality and God’s plan.

    In interviews, many Christians talked about the power of humility.
    Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images

    For example, the Book of Genesis says that God created male and female; it also says God created day and night, and sea and dry land. But as transgender Bible scholar Austen Hartke writes in his 2018 book “Transforming,” recognizing night and day doesn’t preclude sunsets. The fact that there are seas and dry land doesn’t mean marshes are abominable.

    As Kai tried to share God’s love with other LGBTQ+ people, Kai came to realize that their church’s expectation for all LGBTQ+ people to be celibate “wasn’t just hurting me; it was hurting other people.” Kai decided that “As holy as this feels, it’s not the spirit of the Jesus I fell in love with when I became a Christian.”

    Humility is not the opposite of pride; it is a realistic awareness of your gifts and your limitations. When LGBTQ+ people celebrate pride, they are celebrating the often hard-won knowledge that they are human beings, worthy of love.

    Dawne Moon received funding for this project from the Templeton Religion Trust, the Association for the Sociology of Religion, the Louisville Institute, and Marquette University. In the course of conducting research for the project this draws from, she served from 2015-2017 on the board of the Center for Inclusivity.

    Theresa Tobin received funding from the Templeton Religion Trust and Marquette University.

    – ref. The ‘sacramental shame’ many LGBTQ+ conservative Christians wrestle with – and how they find healing – https://theconversation.com/the-sacramental-shame-many-lgbtq-conservative-christians-wrestle-with-and-how-they-find-healing-248961

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Almost Zion: Remembering a short-lived Jewish state in New York

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Adam L. Rovner, Director of the Center for Judaic Studies, University of Denver

    Twin bridges spanning the Niagara River lead from Tonawanda to Grand Island, New York — the proposed site of ‘Ararat.’ Kevin Menschel/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    At dawn on Sept. 15, 1825, a burst of cannon fire shook the ramshackle buildings of Buffalo, New York. Families raced down the main street to witness a grand ceremony, following a parade of soldiers, clergymen, Freemasons, musicians and Seneca tribesmen, including their venerable chief, Red Jacket. All surged toward St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the frontier town’s only grand edifice.

    Inside, a crowd of Christians, Jews and Native Americans were already packed together to witness the founding of Ararat, a tract of land on nearby Grand Island that was intended to be the first autonomous Jewish city-state in almost 1,800 years.

    Ararat’s 400-pound cornerstone, engraved with a central Jewish tenet of faith from the Bible’s Book of Deuteronomy, rested inside the church. When the swell of the organ died down, former diplomat, political power broker and playwright Mordecai Manuel Noah – the man who had dreamed up Ararat – rose to his feet.

    Today, this marker is one of the few surviving signs of the proposed settlement.
    Adam Rovner

    Described as a “stout … gentleman, with sandy hair, a large Roman nose, and … red whiskers,” Noah had draped himself for the ceremony in fur-trimmed robes borrowed from a theater. He triumphantly announced the reestablishment of “the Government of the Jewish Nation … under the auspices and protection of the constitution and laws of the United States of America.”

    Noah also welcomed Native Americans, whom he – like many Americans at the time – mistakenly believed were “the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel.” In addition, he granted equal “rights and religious privileges” to the “black Jews of India and Africa,” disclosing a rare-for-his-time sensitivity toward Jews of color.

    A portrait of Mordecai Noah by 19th-century painter John Wood Dodge.
    Smithsonian American Art Museum via Wikimedia Commons

    But Noah’s utopian ark sank with barely a trace. Not a single Jew heeded his call to settle Ararat. Noah himself abandoned ship when his calls for a Jewish republic were rebuffed by religious leaders. All that he left behind was the cornerstone.

    As a scholar who scours archives to trace connections between literature and history, I’ve seen how Noah’s efforts to found a Jewish statelet have fascinated students of both American and Zionist history.

    Noah was only the first of many modern thinkers to propose establishing Jewish territories far from the biblical land of Israel. In the 20th century, organizations seeking a humanitarian solution to Jewish persecution considered carving out enclaves the world over, including lands in today’s Kenya, Angola, Madagascar, Tasmania and Suriname.

    ‘City of refuge’

    Noah wielded considerable influence in early 19th-century America through his roles as a political party boss, helming various daily newspapers, and as a popular playwright. But he was also a marginalized outsider at a time when there were fewer than 500 Jews in Manhattan, the young republic’s largest city.

    Noah used his press pulpit to demand equality for Jews, even proposing himself as a presidential candidate. He remained one of few high-profile American Jews throughout his life, urging other citizens to acknowledge that one’s faith and patriotism need never be at odds. Yet antisemitic slurs dogged him throughout his career.

    After witnessing the persecution of Jews in Europe during his diplomatic travels, Noah hoped Ararat would be a territorial solution to religious oppression.

    ‘Noah’s Ark,’ by 19th-century American painter Edward Hicks.
    Philadelphia Museum of Art via Wikimedia Commons

    In some ways, his efforts hearkened back to the origins of America itself. Instead of the Mayflower, Noah invoked the symbolic ark of his biblical namesake – “Ararat” is the biblical name of the mountain where the ark came to a rest after the flood. In the role of the Puritans, he cast European Jewry. And instead of Plymouth Rock, he landed on Grand Island. As the cornerstone of Ararat proclaimed, the settlement was to be a “city of refuge for the Jews” – one that Noah hoped would grow to become a state and be admitted to the American republic.

    In his speeches, Noah imagined that Ararat would allow European Jews to escape persecution while simultaneously fulfilling America’s need for immigration, industry and financial capital. He also believed that his purchase of 2,555 acres of Grand Island would prove a lucrative personal investment: The recently completed Erie Canal, he reasoned, would make Buffalo a major port.

    Failure to launch

    At the time of Noah’s proposal, the Zionist movement – the modern political program for Jewish national self-determination – had not yet coalesced. Most Jews at the time believed that founding a Jewish state in the land of Israel was a pipe dream, or worse. God had expelled their ancestors from the Holy Land in 70 C.E., they believed, so taking matters into their own hands and rebuilding a Jewish state there would be blasphemy.

    Noah hoped to sidestep those theological objections by locating a Jewish polity in the promised land of America, not the biblical promised land. Nonetheless, Jewish leaders dismissed his vision as contrary to God’s will. The chief rabbis of England and France publicly condemned Noah’s plan, and the September 1825 ceremony in Buffalo proved Ararat’s high point.

    Though ridiculed in the press for Ararat’s failure, Noah took a philosophical view:

    I … stand as the pioneer of the great work, leaving others to complete it. … When sneers and mockery shall have had their day … then my motives and objects will have been duly estimated and rewarded.“

    The front page of one of Mordecai Noah’s books, published in 1819.
    Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons

    Birth of Zionism

    Noah quickly resumed his career as a journalist and emerged as a kind of ambassador, penning articles and delivering speeches that linked Jewish and Christian America. To Christians, he explained Jewish practices. To his brethren, he demonstrated the fundamental compatibility between the ideals of Judaism and the United States, assuring them that America “is the country which the Almighty has blessed,” a land in which Jews “may repose in safety and happiness.”

    Yet Noah never abandoned his plans for Jewish self-government and ultimately advocated national repatriation to areas of Palestine, then under Ottoman control. In 1845 he published a short book, “Discourse on the Restoration of the Jews.” A young journalist whom he had befriended, Edgar Allan Poe, praised Noah’s proposal for a Jewish return to the biblical land of Israel as “extraordinary [and] full of novel and cogent thought.”

    Noah did not live to see his dreams fulfilled. After his death in March 1851, nearly 50 years passed before another playwright and journalist resurrected the idea of Jewish political autonomy: Theodor Herzl.

    Herzl’s vision laid the groundwork for the establishment of the state of Israel. Today, he is considered the father of Zionism, with his image paraded on Israeli Independence Day.

    Paradoxically, Noah is remembered today thanks only to the spectacular failure of his American Zion.

    Adam L. Rovner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Almost Zion: Remembering a short-lived Jewish state in New York – https://theconversation.com/almost-zion-remembering-a-short-lived-jewish-state-in-new-york-253534

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ina Seethaler, Associate Professor and Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, Coastal Carolina University

    Sexual diversity has been documented in every species in the animal kingdom, including among humans. smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

    The Trump administration claims to be rooting out “gender ideology extremism” and “restoring biological truth” in the United States.

    In a January 2025 executive order, President Donald Trump decreed that there are only two genders – male and female – and that anyone who believes differently denies “the biological reality of sex.”

    Yet as a gender studies scholar, I know what the science really says about gender and sex.

    Most researchers in my field, as well as those in other disciplines such as sociology and biology, agree that biological sex is vastly more complicated than solely the two variants of male and female. Sexual diversity has been documented among all animals, including humans.

    Trump’s claim otherwise is itself a gender “ideology” – that is, a set of beliefs and values about gender.

    Sex and gender are not the same thing

    Experts in many disciplines have shown how gender is different from sex. Sex refers to bodily attributes such as genitals, hormones and chromosomes; gender is made up of the norms, roles, behaviors and expectations people are supposed to comply with based on the culture and society they live in.

    As such, gender is socially constructed – that is, defined by a community’s beliefs and rituals. In other words, gender does not follow biology. Instead, people have what’s called a “gender identity” – an internal sense of themselves as masculine, feminine or somewhere in-between.

    There are many ways in which gender and sex don’t necessarily line up.

    Among humans, a conservative estimate by the United Nations suggests that up to 1.7% of the world’s population are intersex, meaning their bodies vary from what has been labeled typical combinations of chromosomes, hormones and genitals.

    Intersex rights advocates have long pushed for medical treatment that reflects this fact, rather than common expectations of the human body. Recognition of gender and sex diversity can significantly reduce the stigma and trauma of being an intersex person.

    In the animal kingdom, female spotted hyenas have a penis. Male seahorses get pregnant.

    It took biologists a long time to figure out that some male animals do things that defy socially determined understandings of masculinity. But once they did, groundbreaking insights into the complexity of evolutionary processes have emerged.

    By labeling the concept of gender identity as an “ideology,” the Trump administration has reduced all people – but especially transgender and nonbinary people – to a belief system, ignoring their complex human identities.

    Don’t tell this dad he can’t give birth. A seahorse couple at the New England Acquarium’s 2009 Pregnant Male Seahorse exhibit.
    Matt Stone/MediaNewsGroup/Boston Herald via Getty Images

    What is gender ideology, really?

    Trump’s executive order on gender is itself based on a gender ideology called “biological determinism” – the belief that there are only two genders and that the sex assigned at birth permanently determines one’s role in society.

    This ideology dismisses research and data that document the complexity of human life. This can have serious social consequences.

    Because adherents of biological determinism see sex and gender as one and the same, they generally want to ban puberty blockers, hormone therapy and other gender-affirming health care for trans youth. These are important and sometimes lifesaving treatments; the Trump administration and other adherents of their ideology dismiss them as medical malpractice.

    The executive order also claims that enforcing a rigid male-female divide will keep women and girls safe because bathrooms and domestic violence shelters become dangerous for women when transgender people are allowed to use them.

    Research has consistently debunked this notion. Privacy and safety problems have not increased due to the legal recognition of transgender individuals. There is no evidence that cisgender women – that is, those assigned female at birth – should fear violence committed against them by transgender women.

    Biology is not destiny

    Much of my academic work has focused on how societies rooted in biological determinism tend to be patriarchal. They are designed by men for the benefit of men, and men hold most positions of authority.

    Patriarchal countries, including the U.S., tend to value masculinity over femininity. Political and religious leaders, the media and social norms suggest women are weaker than men, more emotional and better suited for care work. As a result, they portray women as less effective leaders than men.

    Historically, these societies have limited women’s sphere of influence to the household. That, in turn, prevented them from widespread access to, and success in, economic, religious and political leadership positions, just to name a few.

    U.S. feminists in the 1960s and 1970s protested the idea that a person’s body should dictate what they can and cannot do with their life. Back then, patriarchal beliefs restricted women’s participation in sports – they weren’t allowed to run marathons – and jobs, with fields such as practicing law and surgery essentially off-limits.

    Women in the U.S. also lacked full bodily autonomy for much of the 20th century. Access to contraception was limited, and terminating a pregnancy was illegal.

    By the 1980s, women had succeeded in convincing much of U.S. society that they had the same abilities and should enjoy the same rights as men. By the early 2000s, they had made great strides toward attaining equality in education, career choice and reproductive freedom, among others.

    Trans people began making similar progress in the 2010s.

    Moving backward

    As the Trump administration reverts to a simplistic interpretation of sex and gender, public debate on these basic social and political rights is reemerging.

    There is legislation at the state and federal level banning transgender women athletes from participating in sports, bills that would make it a crime to identify as transgender and challenges to women serving in combat roles in the U.S. military.

    Abortion, established as a constitutional right in 1973, had that constitutional protection reversed in 2022. Abortion is now outlawed in 12 states; others severely limit the ability to get the procedure.

    Trump signs the ‘No Men in Women’s Sports’ executive order barring transgender women from women’s sports on Feb. 5, 2025. It was his third order targeting transgender people.
    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    To enforce Trump’s “gender ideology” executive order, the Department of Veterans Affairs is phasing out gender-affirming health care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention temporarily scrubbed data about women’s health that has been vital in raising public awareness and fueling ongoing research into aspects of women’s health, such as safe forms of contraception.

    The administration’s policies and ideas are ingrained in a gender ideology that predates the feminist movement of the mid-20th century.

    When asked in court during proceedings in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order, lawyers representing the Trump administration have repeatedly failed to define what exactly the administration is referring to with the term “radical gender ideology.”

    One lawyer, when prompted by a judge, replied that he was “loathe to speculate” what the president means by the phrase.

    In my assessment, the administation’s inability to define “gender ideology” is a meaningful signal. The Trump administration is pursuing, in essence, its own gender ideology masked as anti-gender ideology.

    Ina Seethaler serves on the boards of the Palmetto State Abortion Fund and the Family Justice Center of Horry and Georgetown Counties.

    – ref. How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’ – https://theconversation.com/how-trump-promotes-a-radical-unscientific-theory-about-sex-and-gender-in-the-name-of-opposing-gender-ideology-extremism-250552

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Romford builder banned for Covid loan abuse agrees to repay money he should never have claimed

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Romford builder banned for Covid loan abuse agrees to repay money he should never have claimed

    Construction director previously disqualified as a director signs compensation agreement

    • Ioan Marcu overstated his company’s turnover to receive £50,000 in Bounce Back Loan funds when he was only entitled to little more than £11,000 

    • Marcu was handed a decade-long director ban for his misconduct following Insolvency Service investigations 

    • The 38-year-old has now signed a formal document in which he agrees to repay the money he secured 

    A builder who was disqualified as a company director for Covid loan abuse has now agreed to repay all the money the company was not entitled to claim. 

    Ioan Marcu inflated his Imbusi Ltd company’s turnover to receive a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in 2020, the maximum allowed under the scheme. 

    Marcu was disqualified as a director for 10 years in January 2025 following Insolvency Service investigations. 

    The 38-year-old, of Lindfield Road, Romford, has now signed an agreement committing him to repay more than £38,000 – the total amount the company should never have received. 

    Ann Oliver, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

    Ioan Marcu significantly overstated his company’s turnover in order to receive the maximum amount of money businesses were entitled to under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. 

    This was clearly an inaccurate declaration which has resulted in him being banned as a director until the start of 2035. 

    Marcu has now signed a compensation undertaking which legally requires him to pay back all the public money the company should never have received in the first place.

    Imbusi was incorporated in August 2014 with Marcu as its sole director. 

    Marcu applied to the bank for the £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in July 2020, claiming Imbusi’s turnover was £280,000 – an over-estimate of more than £230,000. 

    Insolvency Service analysis of Imbusi’s accounts revealed the company was only entitled to a loan of £11,451. 

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a compensation undertaking from Marcu on Thursday 24 April, in which he has agreed to repay £38,549 in monthly instalments. 

    His disqualification undertaking prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. 

    Imbusi went into liquidation in July 2022 with liabilities of more than £63,000. 

    Further information

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Grangemouth closure is devastating loss for workers and community

    Source: Scottish Greens

    29 Apr 2025 Energy Just Transition

    The workers and community of Grangemouth deserve better.

    More in Energy

    The news of Grangemouth refinery coming to an end is devastating for workers and the community, says Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay. 

    Ms Mackay grew up 200 yards from the refinery and represents Grangemouth, was responding to the news that Petroineos has ceased oil refining in Scotland.

    Ms Mackay said:

    “This is devastating for the workers and community of Grangemouth. We should have seen our Governments doing more to protect jobs and modernise the refinery into a space that would help our transition to a greener future. 

    “It is a further blow to the community. It is deeply disappointing that Labour have not stepped in to protect workers or to future proof jobs in the same way that they have with steelworks down south. 

    “Grangemouth is my home, and it has been frustrating to see promises being made and dropped as easily as Petroineos’ detached billionaire has now dropped the workforce. 

    “I am concerned about what this will look like in the short term for the town. Warm words will not pay the bills. Grangemouth holds a lot of potential, as do the workers who offer the skills we need for transitioning away from fossil fuels. 

    “Governments have not done enough to protect the workers, and my fear is that Grangemouth will now go the same way as so many other communities and towns, where big businesses have cut their losses and left at the expense of the communities and livelihoods.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council continues to grow Waverley Court Partnership Hub

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Exterior of Waverley Court in Edinburgh.

    Creative Scotland and British Transport Police will move into the Waverley Court Partnership Hub.

    They will join SEPA, Visit Scotland, Skills Development Scotland and Balfour Beatty, which are already based at the Council headquarters on East Market Street. Scottish Water is also due to move into the building later this year.

    The decision by the Council’s Finance and Resources Committee to lease the space will grow the number of organisations based in Waverley Court to eight and annually raise £1.7m in total.

    British Transport Police will move into the courtyard by the end of 2025, occupying about 40 desks, while Creative Scotland will move into the ground floor this autumn, occupying 60 desks.

    The council will continue to retain at least 60% of the desk space within Waverley Court and discussions will continue to take place with other interested public sector partners.

    Councillor Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener, said:

    We’re looking forward to welcoming Creative Scotland and the British Transport Police into Waverley Court, which is quickly becoming a true Partnership Hub, with organisations from all sides of the public sector joining forces to make greater use of the space and share expertise.

    By welcoming these organisations in, we are generating significant income for the Council and making sure our Headquarters are operated in the most sustainable, efficient, and collaborative way.
     

    Published: April 29th 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New powers already tackling anti-social behaviour in Leicester

    Source: City of Leicester

    NEW powers to help the city council keep Leicester’s public spaces free from anti-social behaviour are already having a positive impact on the city centre.

    Since the beginning of April, a team of city wardens and community safety officers has been patrolling the city centre to raise awareness of the new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) – a suite of new powers that allows the council to take swift enforcement action against those causing a nuisance.

    Easy to spot in their branded uniforms, the authorised officers have spoken to hundreds of people in a month-long period of engagement and education, with their high-profile presence already helping to address nuisance behaviour in the city centre.

    In the past month, the team has issued more than 100 verbal warnings relating to begging in the city centre. Officers also dealt with 49 unauthorised charity collections, 220 bike and scooter offences, 73 incidents of problem street drinking, 79 incidents of unauthorised amplification and 82 unpermitted structures, such as gazebos.

    Everyone spoken to has been warned that from Thursday (1 May), anyone breaching the PSPO risks facing a fixed penalty notice of £100, rising to £1,000 if prosecution leads to a conviction.

    People found begging in the city centre have been signposted to services offering food and shelter, while those riding scooters and e-bikes have been given leaflets, advising them that illegal machines will be confiscated by the police as part of their ongoing Op Pedalfast campaign.

    City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Every day for the past four weeks, our city wardens and community safety officers have been out on the streets, making sure that everyone using the city centre knows that nuisance behaviour will not be tolerated in Leicester.

    “And the good news is, the message seems to be getting through.

    “People are coming up to our officers to tell them that their presence is making a difference, and that problems associated with street drinking or begging, or the irresponsible use of e-bikes and scooters, appear to be receding. That sentiment is also reflected in the feedback we’ve received, and we’ve certainly noticed fewer complaints about the city centre in the past four weeks.

    “From 1 May, we’ll be reinforcing that message by introducing enforcement.

    “Anyone breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order from Thursday will be committing a criminal offence and risks facing a £100 fine.

    “I hope that we don’t need to issue any fixed penalty notices on Thursday. My hope is that the risk of a fine is enough to rid Leicester of the sort of anti-social behaviour that’s been spoiling people’s enjoyment of our historic city centre for too long.”

    Introduced on 2 April, the PSPO covers the city centre within the inner ring road, together with the area around Leicester railway station, the entirety of New Walk, and the area between London Road and Regent Road as far as Granville Road.

    Within the area covered by the PSPO, an individual is in breach of the order – and committing a criminal offence – if they cause a nuisance by:

    • begging
    • collecting for charity without the council’s permission
    • using an e-bike, bike, skateboard or scooter irresponsibly
    • consuming alcohol when asked to stop by an authorised officer
    • using amplification equipment without authorisation
    • putting up a gazebo or other temporary structure without authorisation

    The full order can be seen at leicester.gov.uk/pspo

    Public Spaces Protection Orders were introduced by the government as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014 and can be used by councils to target a range of issues in a defined public area.

    Once adopted, each PSPO is valid for three years.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Going up! Leeds United promotion parade confirmed for Bank Holiday Monday

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds United fans will have the chance to salute the club’s promotion-winning heroes during an open-top bus parade, it can be confirmed today.

    Fresh from clinching a return to the Premier League, Daniel Farke and his squad will be riding high once again as they make their way around a loop of Leeds city centre next Monday, May 5.

    Large crowds are expected to turn out to show their appreciation for Leeds’s manager and players on a Bank Holiday afternoon that promises to live long in the memory.

    The parade will follow a mile-long route that will take in the full length of the Headrow as well as City Square, Boar Lane, New Market Street and parts of Wellington Street and Vicar Lane.

    The Whites are scheduled to arrive in the city centre at around 1pm, with the parade set to last between an hour and an hour-and-a-half.

    Due to the high number of fans expected to attend, there will be no single focal point for the event. Instead, supporters are being encouraged to line as much of the route as possible and give the team the welcome they deserve.

    Farke and his players will be ‘on the mic’ and interacting with fans throughout the parade, meaning everyone – no matter where they are along the route – will get the same special experience and enjoy what is sure to be a city centre-wide carnival atmosphere.

    People who cannot make it to the event will be able to follow proceedings via a live stream on the club’s LUTV channel.

    The parade has been organised by Leeds City Council in conjunction with the club, and with support from agencies including West Yorkshire Police.

    Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said:

    “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with Leeds United to give players and fans the chance to celebrate promotion together.

    “As a season ticket holder at Elland Road, I know how much this football club means to its supporters and indeed Leeds as a whole.

    “The name of Leeds United is already known all around the world, but being in the Premier League raises the profile of the club still further and will also bring wider economic benefits to the city.

    “I’m looking forward to seeing fans out enjoying themselves, it should be a wonderful spectacle. By lining the entirety of the route, they’ll be able to secure a great view of the parade and help create a party atmosphere right across the city centre.”

    The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, said:

    “Winning promotion is a marvellous achievement by Daniel Farke and his players, they really have done the whole of Leeds proud over the course of the season.

    “Leeds United’s ups and downs are woven into the fabric of life here and, as the city’s Lord Mayor, it’s my absolute pleasure to see them back where they belong.

    “I know the club’s fans have been in party mood since promotion was secured and I’m sure they will relish the opportunity to continue their celebrations at next week’s parade.”

    Morrie Eisenberg, chief operating officer at Leeds United, said:

    “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate our promotion to the Premier League with a parade across Leeds city centre.

     “Sadly, due to restrictions when we were last promoted to the top flight in 2020, it wasn’t possible for a bus parade to take place, so we’re now delighted to be able to celebrate this promotion properly with our supporters.

     “On behalf of the club I would like to thank everybody who has helped pull the parade together behind the scenes and at local authority level, I’m sure next Monday will be a great occasion for the whole city.”

    A programme of road closures and other traffic restrictions is due to be in place across much of the city centre from 8am to 5pm on Monday. Emergency service access will be maintained throughout this time.

    The size of the expected turnout means people coming into the city centre – for the parade or other reasons – are being asked to carefully plan their journeys in advance.

    The park and ride sites at Temple Green and Stourton will be operating on the day, with First running inbound buses from there to the city centre between 10am and 1pm and return services between 2.30pm and 5.30pm.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Eastern Gateway development continues ahead of completion this summer

    Source: City of Derby

    The transformation of the eastern side of Derby city centre is in full swing, with work on the Eastern Gateway development set to be completed this summer.

    Delivered by Derbion and part-funded by Derby City Council, through the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, the Eastern Gateway will introduce a new façade and urban garden, transforming the area opposite the bus station and the eastern entrance to Derbion.

    In the coming weeks, work will begin on a brand-new play area, including a climbing feature and interactive activity panels designed to provide inclusive play for children of all needs. The space will also feature new planting and bench seating, creating a welcoming outdoor area for visitors to enjoy. In addition, plans are underway to bring additional attractions to the area, such as brand promotions, family-friendly activities and pop-up food stalls once the area is fully opened.

    The Kinetic Wall and Playground are expected to be in place later this year.

    Planning is also in progress for a large-format advertising wall, with installation expected during autumn/winter 2025 if approved.

    Beth McDonald, Managing Director of Derbion, commented:

    The Eastern Gateway project forms part of an exciting vision for Derbion, contributing further to the vibrancy and attractiveness of the city centre.

    With development now in its final phase, we’re looking forward to seeing the transformative impact that this project has in providing a new, welcoming and inclusive space for visitors.

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, said:

    This development is key to better connecting different parts of our city centre, and it’s brilliant to see the progress happening on site. By transforming this area, we’re not just enhancing the look and feel of this important gateway into our city centre but creating a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy.

    We’re really pleased to be partnering with Derbion on this and are looking forward to seeing the vision turn into reality over the coming months.

    Derby City Council was awarded £15 million through the Government’s Future High Streets Fund to support the development of the city centre, with £3 million allocated to the Eastern Gateway project. Derbion has funded a further £1 million towards the development.

    For more information, visit the Derbion website. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –