| English Defence League march in Leicester banned Home secretary authorises blanket ban on marches in the city this Saturday, including planned protest by far-right groupThe home secretary, Theresa May, today authorised a ban on a planned march by far-right group the English Defence League (EDL), due to take place in Leicester on Saturday.The blanket ban prevents any marches in the city over the weekend, although it does not prevent groups holding "static demonstrations".A Home Office spokesman said: "Having carefully balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, the home secretary gave her consent to a Leicester city council order banning any marches in the city on 9 October."It is the second time in the past two months that an EDL march has been banned. In August, the home secretary ruled that the organisation could not stage a march in Bradford. However, about 700 EDL supporters staged a "static demonstration" which was marred by violence and racist chanting.There were reports yesterday that EDL members intended to flout the ban. However, EDL spokesman Guramit Singh said the organisation had yet to decide how it would respond. "We will be having a meeting tonight and decide what to do then. There are a lot of options open to us."The Home Office said anyone who organises a prohibited march could be jailed for three months or face a £2,500 fine, while anyone found guilty of taking part in such a rally could be fined up to £1,000.Leicester city council applied for the ban at the request of the police after formal notification was received that both the EDL and Unite Against Fascism intended to march in the city.Sheila Lock, Leicester city council's chief executive, welcomed the ban, adding: "Even though the home secretary has given her consent it does not prevent any static protests taking place, which are still lawful provided they remain peaceful, as we, nor the police, have legal powers to prevent them."Chief superintendent Rob Nixon, commander of policing in the city, said: "The police and council have been working together closely for some time to plan for and manage any static protests. We shall do everything possible to ensure that any protests on 9 October remain peaceful and pose the least amount of disruption possible for those not involved in the protests."The decision to ban the EDL march follows an ongoing campaign by anti-racism group Hope not Hate as well as faith and community groups in Leicester."We welcome the ban but we are deeply alarmed by reports that the EDL may be planning to flout it," said a spokesman for Hope not Hate."This demonstrates once again that the EDL are only interested in dividing communities and causing trouble."The EDL formed in Luton last year and has become the most significant far-right street movement in the UK since the National Front in the 1970s.It claims to be a peaceful, non-racist organisation opposed only to "militant Islam". But many of its demonstrations have ended in confrontations with the police after some supporters became involved in violence, as well as racist and Islamophobic chanting.In May, the Guardian revealed that the EDL was planning to step up its Islamophobic street campaign, targeting Tower Hamlets in London and Bradford.English Defence LeagueBritish identity and societyThe far rightTheresa MayMatthew Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Banksy creates new Simpsons intro The Simpsons opens a new episode in the US with a controversial 'couch gag' designed by UK graffiti artist Banksy. bbc.co.uk |
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Cuts will hit women twice as hard as men, Commons research shows Yvette Cooper says findings illustrate 'biggest reversal of women's opportunities and economic independence' since WW1Measures announced in the comprehensive spending review will hit women twice as hard as men, according to research by the House of Commons library.Yvette Cooper, the shadow foreign secretary and shadow minister for equalities, who commissioned the research, said tonight that the changes represent the biggest reversal in opportunities for women since the end of the first world warOf the £8.5bn being raised by cutting direct contributions to individuals, £5.7bn – two thirds – is coming from women, while £2.7bn is being raised from men, the Commons library says.In June's emergency budget £5.8bn was raised from women and £2.2bn from men.That means that of the total £16bn being brought back into the exchequer by the coalition through direct tax benefit changes, £11bn will come from women.Cooper shows that 70% of tax credits including childcare, working tax credits and other support is paid to mothers, as is 94% of child benefit. Some 60% of housing benefit, also due to be cut, is paid to women. According to the Daycare Trust, the spending review amounts to a £1,500-a-year cut in help with childcare costs.Cooper compares the review to the period after the first world war when women who had been working had to stop because of the return of men from the front."Cutting back measures like childcare and working tax credit, when women still earn much less than men, will mean women have more limited career prospects."Women live on lower incomes yet they have chosen to take the majority from women," she said."You have to go back in history to find anything comparative. Not since the end of the first world war have we seen such a complete reversal of women's opportunities and economic independence. We haven't seen an attempt to turn the clock back like this for very many generations."Under the 2006 Equality Act, the government has a legal duty to give "due regard" to the impact on women of all its policies and to mitigate any changes that look likely to adversely affect women.Over the summer the Treasury admitted it had not done a gender impact assessment on its June emergency budget. The women's rights group the Fawcett Society will get a date for a "permission hearing" in the next few weeks when its lawyers and the Treasury's lawyers will decide with a high court judge whether the issue should be adjudicated through a judicial review.Although the government made sure to do an impact assessment this time round, it only highlighted that its proposed changes to employment support allowance could disproportionately hit men. The research by the House of Commons library takes this into account.Cooper described the Treasury's impact assessment as "pathetic". She said: "It shows they have learned nothing from the Fawcett judicial review process and from the shocking evidence we found at the time of the emergency budget. Instead of trying to mitigate the effects [of June's budget], they have made it worse."George Osborne clearly doesn't understand the importance to women of having some income paid directly to them – Beveridge got that 60 years ago. He got it when he introduced the family allowance paid directly to women. Why on earth are ministers so blind to this now?"At the time of the emergency budget some people suggested the government had just screwed up and didn't realise the impact of their measures on women – this time it's clear it's deliberate."Cooper argues that 300,000 women's jobs in the public sector will go, with 65% of public sector jobs done by women. Women will also be more heavily affected by increases in public sector pension contributions.Spending review 2010Tax and spendingWomenEqualityWelfareYvette CooperAllegra Strattonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
St James' Park graffitied on Google Maps Sunderland fans are the chief suspects of a prank in which St James' Park, the Newcastle United football stadium, was defaced on Google Maps. telegraph.co.uk |