The Duke of Cambridge becomes Royal Patron of homeless charity The Passage

The Duke of Cambridge has today become Royal Patron of The Passage, which is the UK’s largest resource centre for homeless and insecurely housed people. Established in 1980, The Passage has since helped over 130,000 people in crisis through its resource centre, homelessness prevention projects and two innovative accommodation services.

The Duke first visited The Passage as a child in 1993 with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, and has made additional visits at various points over the last twenty-five years. Speaking at The Passage in 2016, The Duke said:

“The visits I made as a child to this place left a deep and lasting impression upon me – about how important it is to ensure that everyone in our society, especially the poorest, are treated with respect, dignity and kindness, and are given the opportunities to fulfil their potential in life.”

The Duke is a longstanding supporter of organisations working to combat homelessness, and has also been Patron of Centrepoint, who work to help homeless young people, since 2005.

Mick Clarke, Chief Executive of The Passage said:

“During His Royal Highness’ visits to The Passage, it has been very clear that he has a deep concern for those affected by homelessness and a real interest in our work. For His Royal Highness to further express his support for The Passage’s work by becoming our Royal Patron is a tremendous honour, and a testament to how much he genuinely cares about this issue.”

Royal Press

A speech by The Duke of Sussex at The Endeavour Fund Awards

Thank you Shaun and congratulations again to all of tonight’s nominees and winners.

And thank you for once again reminding us what can be achieved by the human spirit, regardless of what barriers your bodies and the world has put in your way. 

Your stories and achievements have been nothing short of extraordinary. The resilience, determination and strength you have displayed in your careers, and over the past year with the Endeavour Fund, have been an inspiration to all of us here tonight and most importantly...your families and everyone who looks up to you. 

Having spoken to Joanna Worsley recently, I know how much this evening means to the whole Worsley family. So many of the people we heard from tonight epitomise the great example that Henry showed of overcoming adversity whilst helping others along the way.

However, tonight isn’t just about the winners. Or even just about the nominees. It’s about every single member of the armed forces community.

I am delighted that the Endeavour Fund has been there to help you on your way. But it was and is your spirit and your bravery that put you back on that journey to rediscover who you are. You did that.

Remember, all of you and your families have proven that you have the ability to summon more strength and resilience than anyone else we know. 

I have always wanted the Endeavour Fund to support those charities and programmes that can really find the hardest to reach. And with the work of everyone in this room, this is something that we’re achieving every single day.

Last year alone we supported 2,824 WIS through 22 adventurous challenges, which led to 103 qualifications through the Endeavours and 85 of which gained employment as a direct result.

Post wound or injury diagnosis, 88% of our participants experienced low mood and 77% a lack of confidence about the future. As a RESULT of their endeavour 94% reported positive effects on their wellbeing, 95% an increase in confidence and 90% reported positive effects on their support network. Just in case anyone in this room was in doubt that this really works.

To all the organisations we have worked with, thank you. Tonight’s awards are also a celebration of all your amazing work and without your support, none of this would be possible.

As the Endeavour Fund has grown, I have seen countless men and women find a new purpose and enthusiasm for life. But, also, I have seen the positive impact this has had on their families, friends, colleagues and communities around them.

And that spirit, professionalism, determination and resilience is powerful beyond measure.

I want you to be able to demonstrate it to everyone around you, because in my mind, once you’ve served you’re always serving and YOU are the UK’s greatest asset.

As we move forward, I want to harness this energy even further. From today, we will be using the Endeavour Fund to encourage and empower participants to use their experiences to have a wider impact on the world around them.

After all, 98% of our participants reported that helping others resulted in a positive effect in their own lives. Yes, that’s right, by adding value you feel valued.

So I’m afraid it’s no longer just about you. It’s also about those around you – your friends and family, those in your local community and the community at large. These endeavours are hopefully not only reminding you that you are valued members of society – but also the very best kind of role models we could ask for.

So from now on, when you’re getting involved with an endeavour, we’re going to ask you to think about how you will use your experience to impact those around you, be it in your own home or the world at large.

Take the guys on Deptherapy’s trip to Egypt for example, who took a break during their endeavour to help clean up the reef and ensure they left the ocean in a much better state for others to enjoy.

You are leading examples for the armed forces community, for public service, for giving back to society and for everybody else in the UK – you do not have to be defined by your injury or disability.

It does not have to hold you back. You may not realise or appreciate it yet, but do not underestimate the incredible impact you are having on those around you, by simply being yourself.

And to anyone else watching at home who is going through any of the issues we’ve heard about tonight, or who has a long road of recovery ahead – let this room be your true north.

We could sit here and pat each other on the back and say job well done. But this isn’t the end. In fact your work has only just started.

When you leave here tonight please have a think about how you can continue to make a positive impact to your life and to the lives of those around you.

Together you can continue to have palpable impact and truly make a difference. Exactly what you chose to do when you put that uniform on... so you see, once serving - always serving, only this time you’re not being shouted at.

Good luck, and thank you.

Royal Press 

Labour pledges to prevent universities from going bust

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Universities would be prevented from going bust under new plans unveiled by Labour to protect higher education and students from "rampant" market forces.

The plans to overhaul regulator the Office for Students reflect fears about some universities' viability.

Under Labour, the OfS would get an explicit objective of avoiding "disorderly failure" at universities, and be able to provide emergency loans.

The government said the OfS already had strong powers to regulate universities.

There have been increasing concerns about the financial sustainability of higher education institutions, with reports that three are on the brink of bankruptcy, relying on short-term loans to get by.

And several others are planning to run deficit budgets and make significant cuts.

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Universities minister Chris Skidmore has suggested some "providers may, in a small number of cases, exit the market altogether as a result of strong competition".

But shadow education minister Angela Rayner has highlighted that the OfS itself has said it would "not bail out providers in financial difficulty".

She said: "The Tories have unleashed a failed free market experiment in higher education.

"They have created a system that goes to the very heart of their ideology - a system where market logic is imposed on public goods and where the forces of competition run rampant at the expense of students, staff and communities.

"Students would be left with immense uncertainty about their futures and entire communities would lose one of their major academic, economic and social institutions.

"Education is a public good and should be treated as such. Our universities are there for all of us," she added.

Universities are in competition with each other to attract students, and the larger and more popular universities have been opening up more places in order to take advantage of the significant funds each student brings with them.

Vice-chancellor pay

This appears to be leaving smaller, or less popular universities, abandoned by prospective students.

Mr Skidmore told MPs earlier this week that the government's reforms to regulation were designed to promote diversity, innovation and choice in higher education, in the interests of students.

But achieving that, he said, does not equate to propping up any particular failing provider.​

He said he hoped the OfS would be able to anticipate any development such as course closure or market exit rather than react to it.

Its predecessor, the Higher Education Funding Council, granted at least £1m in emergency loans last year.

Labour also pledged to set limits on vice-chancellor pay, by limiting it to 20 times that of the lowest paid member of staff in the university.

Vice-chancellors would also be banned from sitting on the boards that set their pay.

This week an OfS report revealed that some university vice-chancellors were being paid 12 or 13 times the median (or the middle) salary of their employees.

Other measures planned by Labour include requiring universities to publish more data on disadvantaged students, including details of students' socio-economic background, ethnicity, gender, and those with a disability or a caring responsibility.

Responding to Labour's proposals, a Department for Education spokesperson said the OfS was set up "to champion the interests of students, promote choice and ensure that higher education delivers value for money for both students and taxpayers".

They continued: "We have given it strong regulatory powers to take action where it deems necessary, including financial penalties and even deregistration.

"The OfS has already made a significant impact on the sector even though the OfS is not yet at full strength, with some of its powers due to come into force later this year."

'Killer car seats' sold online for £8

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Children's car seats, dubbed "killers" by trading standards officers, have repeatedly appeared for sale on online marketplaces, Which? has warned.

The consumer group said the fabric seats, which can cost as little as £8, offered almost no protection in a crash and were illegal to use in the UK.

The online sites - Amazon, eBay and AliExpress - all said they had removed the seats from sale.

But Which? said the listings should have been deleted quicker.

Crash tests
Which? said the seats had been described online as suitable for children from newborns up to the age of five.

However, in 2014, Surrey Trading Standards had conducted tests on a fabric seat which fell to pieces in a 30 mph accident. The crash test dummy of a three-year-old child was flung through the windscreen when the straps securing the seat failed.

Trading standards officers dubbed them "killer car seats" and removed dozens of them from sale. Which? said they lacked the support needed to protect babies and toddlers.

However, the consumer group said that they had repeatedly re-appeared for sale on online marketplaces ever since.

Alex Neill, from Which?, said: "Parents will be horrified at the thought they could be unwittingly putting their child's life at risk with one of these 'killer' car seats. Online marketplaces cannot continue to turn a blind eye to dangerous and illegal products being sold on their sites."

How to check
Regulations state that only EU-approved child car seats can be used in the UK.

Approved seats carry a clear orange label with the codes ECE R44-03, ECE R44-04 or ECE R129 to indicate they have been put through EU safety testing and can therefore be legally sold on the UK market.

Consumer groups suggest car seats should never be bought secondhand, as they could have been involved in an accident but damage to the seat may be unclear.

Sales site eBay told Which? that it had asked the sellers involved to contact the buyers to organise a return, and to pay for the return shipping.

"Our specialist teams work with regulators and Trading Standards to ensure our block filters stay up to date, using sophisticated software that monitors billions of listings a day to remove any prohibited items," an eBay spokesman said.

Amazon said: "All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who don't will be subject to action including potential removal of their account. The products in question are no longer available."

AliExpress said: "After we were told by Which? about these third-party listings, we took prompt action to remove them. We will continue to take action against sellers who violate our terms of use."

Man charged with murders of three men in Exeter

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A man has been charged with the murders of three elderly men found dead in Exeter.

Alexander Lewis-Ranwell, 27, from Croyde, Braunton, is charged with the murders of Anthony Payne, 80, and 84-year-old twin brothers, Richard and Roger Carter.

He has also been charged with two offences of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Mr Lewis-Ranwell will appear at Exeter Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

Mr Payne was found dead at his Bonhay Road house on Monday.

The Carter brothers were found dead in Cowick Lane about 1.5 miles (2.4km) away the following day.

Mr Lewis-Ranwell was first arrested that evening. He remains in custody.

A friend of Mr Payne - who was known as Tony - earlier described him as a "decent, ordinary 80-year-old bloke".

Keith Baker, 68, said Mr Payne had worked on a farm after leaving school, before doing National Service in the Army, and later building work.

He said his friend was an Exeter City fan who enjoyed maintaining his allotment and looking after his pet cats.

A friend of one of the twin brothers who were murdered said he "wouldn't have done anything to harm anybody".

Martyn Liddon, who runs Exeter-based charity Men in Sheds, said he became friends with Dick Carter when talking to him on the bus.

Supt Matt Lawler, of Devon and Cornwall Police, thanked local communities for their messages of support, adding: "All of our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the victims."

He said officers from the force would be speaking to residents and conducting investigative work at the two addresses in the city over the coming days.

Electronic GPS tags to track thousands of criminals in England and Wales

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Thousands of criminals in England and Wales will be tagged with GPS trackers to allow authorities to trace them 24 hours a day.

Currently, electronic tags are linked to a box at a fixed address, such as an offender's home, with alerts generated if they are not there at certain hours.

But the new location tags will track a person's movements wherever they go.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said the tags will better protect victims of domestic abuse or stalking.

The new GPS tags are already being used in some areas, but will be rolled out everywhere in England and Wales from this summer.

Around 60,000 offenders currently wear the standard electronic tags in England and Wales.

These tags are connected to a particular address which checks if the person wearing the tag is present during the hours they are meant to be. If not, an alert will be triggered.

As a result, they are largely used to enforce a curfew or some form of house arrest - but are not effective in checking that offenders are obeying other bail or parole restrictions such as keeping away from a particular place.

The new GPS tags, however, monitor the location of the person via a satellite signal which can pinpoint their location - wherever they are and whatever time of day.

They can be used to create a no-go zone where an offender or person on bail cannot enter, or ban someone from going within a certain distance of an address - such as a fellow criminal's or victim's home.

Anyone who breaches rules that have been imposed on them could then be recalled to prison or brought before the courts.

The GPS tags can also be used to check that an offender is attending an activity, for example work or a rehabilitation programme, or track their movements to find out about their lifestyle or behaviours.

"GPS tagging will help to better protect victims and give them the reassurance that perpetrators will not be able to breach an exclusion zone without triggering an immediate alert," said Mr Gauke.

"I am confident that this important new technology will become a vital tool to increase public protection and strengthen options for tougher community sentences."

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The government has used electronic tagging services as part of the sentencing and supervision of offenders since 1999. It said the new GPS tags will not replace the current system but be an extra option.

The location tags can be used for people placed on court bail as well as offenders who have been given community orders, suspended sentences or after being released from prison.

So far, GPS tags have been rolled out to three regions - north-west and north-east England, and the Midlands. The new technology will also be trialled in Londonparticularly for knife crime offenders after they have been released from prison.

Officials estimate that around 4,000 people will be GPS-tagged in a year. There will be a maximum of 1,000 tags in use at any one time.

The move comes after an 17-month pilot of GPS tags was carried out in eight police forces in England. The Ministry of Justice said the pilot showed GPS tags "can potentially save police investigation time", and could make criminals more compliant.

The MoJ quoted one offender as saying: "I've walked in an exclusion zone before, not realising… that was before I had the tag on, so I wasn't really bothered about getting seen. Now, with the tag, I knew full well that if I go in to that exclusion zone, I'm going to get seen no matter what."

In Scotland, legislation which would bring in the same GPS tagging technology is at the second stage of passing through Parliament. It has been referred back to the committee and will then be debated.

London bankers will need 'chaperones' for EU clients under no-deal Brexit - sources

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Investment banks have warned M&A teams in Britain they cannot pitch business to clients in the European Union if there is a no-deal Brexit without an EU “chaperone” sitting in on their meeting, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

“The problem is that at the start of the discussion you have no idea how you’re going to finance the deal and technically you should tell clients every five minutes ‘oh, I can’t do this, I can’t do that,’ which is a bit worrying,” Gleeson said, referring to what could happen if there is no Brexit deal.

A Credit Suisse spokeswoman said the Swiss bank was working to maintain access to EU clients and markets by using its existing infrastructure in the event of a hard Brexit.

“Discussions with relevant regulators, employees and key stakeholders continue but as we have previously stated, our solution will involve multiple locations, including Madrid, Frankfurt and Luxembourg,” she said.

“London will remain a key part of the bank’s footprint even after the UK’s exit from the European Union,” she said.

Nomura declined to comment.

Prime Minister Theresa May suffered another parliamentary defeat on Thursday in her attempt to win backing for a Brexit deal that would mean business as usual for bankers until the end of 2020.

But with Brexit due in just over 40 days and no deal in sight, bankers are having to face up to what a no-deal Brexit will actually mean and make contingency plans.

“If Britain crashes out of the EU, even pitching ideas to EU clients is unchartered territory,” a London-based M&A banker at a European investment bank said.

“We will need a chaperone who is cleared by EU regulators to witness our conversations.”

REVERSE SOLICITATION

M&A bankers have until now seen their jobs as Brexit-proof because unlike other banking roles, including selling and trading equities or bonds, dealmaking is effectively unregulated.

Major investment banks have offices across Europe and London-based M&A staff typically liaise with their local counterparts when working on live deals.

If Britain agrees a Brexit deal, banks will mainly relocate staff working with regulated products and will also benefit from a transition period to adjust to life after Brexit.

But without a withdrawal agreement in place there will be no transition period.

A no-deal Brexit would harm an M&A banker’s ability to interact freely with EU companies and develop relationships with local executives to win lucrative advisory mandates down the line.

Bankers in London would need to hand all financing and deal execution activity to colleagues inside the EU, the sources said. They would also need a “letter of engagement” from a client, giving them the right to represent EU companies in M&A discussions, the sources also said.

This refers to the legal principle of “reverse solicitation.”

Barney Reynolds, a financial lawyer at Shearman & Sterling, said EU financial rules recognise the principle of reverse solicitation, which is where a customer in the EU can ask for a service like M&A advice from a firm that does not have a branch or subsidiary in the bloc.

“It’s not a panacea but it’s a known legal principle. You would need to have processes and procedures in place to show that you were approached by the client in the first place,” Reynolds said.

But a lack of clear guidelines from EU regulators on reverse solicitation creates uncertainty, according to law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, and could lead to sanctions and the risk of investors trying to rescind contracts if wrongly used.

Some banks including Credit Suisse are monitoring how much time their M&A bankers spend in the EU versus London to establish which is the best location for their top deal makers.

“It’s not entirely clear what we can do and cannot do after March 29. What’s certain is that under a no-deal scenario the entire pipeline would be disrupted,” another M&A banker at a major U.S. investment bank said.