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In an interview this morning, the policing minister, Diana Johnson, stated she had seen facial recognition expertise in motion in Croydon, London, the place the Metropolitan police had put collectively a watchlist of wished people, and the checklist was deleted after the train. “So it was very tailor-made,” Johnson instructed BBC Breakfast.
She added:
There are legal guidelines about how this must be achieved when it comes to human rights, equalities legislation, information safety legal guidelines.
I feel one of many issues folks, maybe rightly, have is the necessity to consolidate that into one piece of laws or one legislation, and that’s one thing we’re going to seek the advice of on later within the yr, about how reside facial recognition expertise must be used and the oversight of it to make it as clear as potential for the general public to essentially really feel that is one thing that the police are utilizing correctly.
Johnson had earlier instructed Instances Radio:
There may be numerous misinformation on the market about what this really does and the way it’s used.
She stated:
And I do know up to now, there’ve been issues about bias, significantly round sure ethnic teams or genders or age. And the best way that that is now structured, the algorithms which are getting used have been independently examined, so I’m assured that the reside facial recognition that we’re rolling out as we speak really is inside the legislation and doesn’t have the bias that has occurred beforehand.
Based on the Residence Workplace, the expertise shall be used to trace down high-harm offenders. Seven English forces may have entry to 10 vans outfitted with cameras, throughout Better Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and Hampshire, following on from current deployments by London’s Met police and South Wales police, reviews the PA information company.
Ch Supt Tim Morgan of South Wales police stated the expertise had “by no means resulted in a wrongful arrest in south Wales, and there have been no false alerts for a number of years because the expertise and our understanding has developed”.
However human rights campaigners have “issues” about “this extremely intrusive expertise”, Shami Chakrabarti, a former director of the civil liberties advocacy group Liberty, instructed BBC Radio 4’s At the moment programme.
The previous shadow lawyer normal stated:
Some would say that is yet one more transfer in direction of a complete surveillance society – challenges to privateness, challenges to freedom of meeting and affiliation, and issues with race and intercourse discrimination due to the upper probability of false matches within the context of sure teams.
She stated that “the general public typically perceive that police powers are ruled by statute, so there’s a public dialog, there are parliamentary debates and votes”, however warned there was no legislation particularly overlaying reside facial recognition to assemble proof. “It’s significantly odd that this has all been developed just about fully outdoors the legislation,” she stated.
Chakrabarti stated she “welcomed” plans to seek the advice of forward of potential new laws, however warned that so far, “it’s been a little bit of a wild west – the police procuring expertise from whichever corporations they see match, the police drawing up watchlists of who they’re in search of and what stage, what severity of crime must be ample for deployment, and just about marking their very own homework”.
ShareSeverin Carrell
The hole between public spending and taxes in Scotland has grown sharply to greater than £26bn, leaving it with a deficit twice as giant because the UK’s, official information exhibits.
The newest annual report on Scottish expenditure and tax revenues exhibits the notional fiscal deficit – the hole between total spending and total tax receipts – stood at 11.7% of Scottish GDP within the final monetary yr.
The UK’s deficit was 5.1% for 2024/25, and the income hole has grown in Scotland. Within the earlier yr, it stood at 9.7% of GDP.
These figures, which embrace all sorts of spending and tax elevating by each the Scottish and UK governments, embrace Scotland’s notional share of revenues from North Sea oil and fuel. These fell final yr, contributing to the growing fiscal hole.
Total, the 2 governments raised £91.4bn in taxes however spent £117.6bn – a determine which incorporates Scotland’s notional share of spending in different elements of the UK or abroad in areas similar to defence, commerce and international affairs.
The Scottish authorities stated these annual accounts, a part of the Authorities expenditure and income Scotland (GERS) collection, confirmed that home tax receipts grew quicker than all devolved authorities spending and social safety spending for the fourth yr operating.
The information has persevering with significance as a result of the Scottish Nationwide get together authorities in Edinburgh plans to make independence a part of subsequent yr’s devolved elections once more. Scotland’s capability to finance its spending independently is a vital subject in that debate.
Shona Robison, the Scottish finance secretary, stated:
The choices we now have taken right here in Scotland are serving to assist sustainable public funds.
Scotland’s public funds are higher than many different elements of the UK, with the third highest income per particular person within the UK, behind solely London and the south-east.
Ian Murray, the secretary of state for Scotland, who represents the UK authorities, stated:
These figures underline the collective financial power of the UK and the way Scotland advantages from the redistribution of wealth contained in the UK.
By sharing sources with one another throughout the UK, Scots profit by £2,669 extra per head in public spending than the UK common. It additionally implies that devolved governments have the monetary heft of the broader UK behind them when taking selections.
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Trump administration accuses UK of failing to uphold human rights
Rachel Corridor
The Trump administration has accused the UK of backsliding on human rights over the previous yr, citing antisemitic violence and “severe restrictions” on free speech.
The annual US state division evaluation, which analyses human rights situations worldwide, highlighted legal guidelines limiting speech round abortion clinics, in addition to the best way authorities officers “repeatedly intervened to sit back speech” on-line after the 2024 Southport assault.
The report said:
The federal government typically took credible steps to establish and punish officers who dedicated human rights abuses, however prosecution and punishment for such abuses was inconsistent.
The report cited the “protected entry zones” round abortion clinics, which it stated “may embrace prohibitions on efforts to affect … even by means of prayer or silent protests”.
JD Vance, proper, seen right here with David Lammy at Chevening, beforehand stated the UK had performed a ‘backslide in conscience rights’. {Photograph}: Kin Cheung/AP
Criticism over the dealing with of free speech – specifically regarding rules on on-line hate speech – was additionally directed on the governments of Germany and France.
A UK authorities spokesperson stated:
Free speech is important for democracy all over the world, together with right here within the UK, and we’re proud to uphold freedoms while conserving our residents protected.
The doc, beforehand seen as probably the most complete examine of its variety, has been considerably rewritten and downscaled by the Trump administration, together with in areas similar to authorities corruption and LGBTQ+ rights.
It spares criticism for US allies similar to Israel and El Salvador whereas escalating disapproval of perceived foes similar to Brazil and South Africa. The doc was printed after months of delay amid reviews of inside dissent on the state division over its contents.
ShareRajeev Syal
In case you missed our information story on the subject:
Police forces ought to take into account disclosing the ethnicity and migration standing of suspects when they’re charged in high-profile and delicate investigations, in accordance with new official steerage.
After a row over claims that police “coated up” the backgrounds of two males charged in reference to the alleged rape of a kid, the Nationwide Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the Faculty of Policing have backed plans to launch particulars of nationality when there’s a “policing goal” for doing so.
This may very well be to scale back the chance to public security, “the place there are excessive ranges of mis- or disinformation a couple of explicit incident”, or in instances of serious public curiosity, senior police stated.
The choice to launch new steerage has been praised by a former senior prosecutor, who stated it may assist counter rumours and disinformation which unfold on social media.
However it should additionally anger some anti-racist campaigners, who’ve expressed concern that such proposals may danger framing violence towards girls and ladies as a problem of ethnicity as a substitute of misogyny.
The choice comes after Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, urged police to launch the main points of ethnicity final week.
Forces are already inspired to publicise charging selections in severe instances, the NPCC stated.
Choices on whether or not to launch this info will stay with forces, an NPCC assertion stated, with wider authorized and moral concerns.
The Residence Workplace will determine whether it is “applicable in all of the circumstances” to verify immigration standing of a suspect, the steerage stated.
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Facial recognition shall be used “in a really measured, proportionate means”, the policing minister has vowed.
Policing minister Diana Johnson vowed on a breakfast interview on Wednesday that facial recognition could be used ‘in a really measured, proportionate means’. {Photograph}: Jonathan Brady/PA
Requested about allegations a wider rollout of facial recognition was the “skinny finish of the wedge”, resulting in a “complete surveillance society”, Diana Johnson instructed BBC Breakfast:
With the best of respect, that’s not what that is about. That is about giving the instruments to our law enforcement officials to allow them to maintain us protected. And the reside facial recognition ends in London, the place it’s been used, up to now 12 months, over 580 arrests had been made, and these included individuals who had been wished for rape, for GBH (grievous bodily hurt), for theft, for home abuse, and in addition for intercourse offenders who had been breaching their situations of being out in the neighborhood.
So I feel it is a actually highly effective instrument for policing.
And it’s really a instrument, it’s not an automatic resolution maker. So, the police officer has to take a look at what’s being put up on the display and determine what to do subsequent, so there’s that human involvement, however it’s a actually highly effective instrument, which I feel the general public would really be supportive of being utilized in a really measured, proportionate option to go after these people that the police are in search of for these severe offences.
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Up to date at 05.06 EDT
Releasing suspects’ ethnicity and nationality gained’t cease all cases of disinformation, says policing minister
Disinformation may nonetheless unfold round suspects arrested beneath new steerage for police, a minister has stated, reviews the PA information company.
Police forces have been instructed to share suspects’ ethnicity and nationality with the general public after authorities had been accused of overlaying up offences carried out by asylum seekers, and after riots following the Southport murders which had been partly fuelled by social media disinformation.
The interim steerage by the Nationwide Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the Faculty of Policing comes after mounting stress on police over the main points they make public.
Requested on BBC Breakfast whether or not not revealing nationality and ethnicity till a suspect is charged, somewhat than when they’re arrested, means disinformation may nonetheless unfold in the neighborhood because it did after Axel Rudakubana’s murders in Southport, policing minister Diana Johnson agreed. Johnson stated:
(Disinformation) is an even bigger drawback for society, I feel, however when it comes to explicit people, what usually occurs is at cost, info is launched. That’s what’s occurred earlier than.
Johnson stated:
We had been very supportive of being as open and as clear as potential and this interim steerage will set out that on cost, often identify and addresses are given.
We additionally, typically, will wish to see nationality or ethnicity given as effectively. This goes again to final yr and what occurred, that appalling atrocity in Southport.
She stated the federal government has requested the Legislation Fee to look into the steerage to ensure any future trial shouldn’t be prejudiced by info launched.
Requested if details about a suspect’s asylum standing shall be shared in new steerage, Johnson replied:
To this point, it’s not one thing that the Residence Workplace touch upon when it comes to asylum functions which are made by people.
Extra on this story in a second. Additionally as we speak, Keir Starmer will co-chair a gathering with pro-Ukraine allies after a name with US president Donald Trump and European leaders about ending the warfare scheduled to happen at about noon.
Based on The Instances, US vice-president JD Vance will meet Reform UK chief Nigel Farage for breakfast within the Cotswolds. Within the afternoon, JD Vance is scheduled to go to US troops at Royal Air Power Fairford in Gloucestershire.
In different developments:
A Trump administration report has accused the UK of backsliding on human rights over the previous yr, citing elevated antisemitic violence and rising restrictions on free speech. The annual US state division evaluation, which analyses human rights situations worldwide, flagged what it described as “severe restrictions” on freedom of expression within the UK.
A former cupboard minister has stated the UK authorities is “digging itself right into a gap” over Palestine Motion and fellow Labour friends and MPs had been regretting voting to ban the group. The warning by Peter Hain, who opposed proscription, got here as a Labour backbencher who supported it stated the difficulty would come up once more when parliament returned in September.
Scottish Inexperienced Celebration members will start voting for the get together’s new management from Wednesday. The poll to switch the present group of co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater shall be open till 22 August, with the outcomes to be printed per week later.
Greater than 46,000 public our bodies spurned the provide of a free King Charles portrait. Based on a Guardian unique, the Cupboard Workplace has refused a freedom of knowledge (FoI) request to reveal precisely the place the photographs did find yourself amid falling public assist for monarchy.
A bunch of 9 human rights and freedom of expression organisations have known as on the tradition secretary to halt RedBird Capital’s proposed £500m takeover of the Telegraph and examine the US non-public fairness firm’s ties to China. The worldwide non-governmental organisations, which embrace Index on Censorship, Reporters With out Borders and Article 19, have written to Lisa Nandy arguing that RedBird Capital’s hyperlinks with China “threaten media pluralism, transparency and data integrity within the UK”.
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