Lizzie Dearden

The London mayor dismissed "dystopian visions" and "caricatures" of the British capital shared by Trump and the online right, saying they were not borne out by evidence

"The experience of Londoners is very different to the experience of those who demonise my great city," he said

Sir Sadiq said he has always campaigned on the basis that his "religion is irrelevant" but said:

"Others have pigeonholed me as 'the Muslim mayor' - I'm a mayor who happens to be Muslim, and I think Zohran is the same. What you've seen, though, is our opponents try and use our faith against us."

He added: "We're liberal, we're progressive, we're multicultural, and as importantly, we're incredibly successful. We've shown diversity is a strength, not a weakness."

Sir Sadiq suggested Trump was angered by London's repeated choice of a progressive mayor from an ethnic and religious minority

London’s Mayor Says Mamdani’s Victory Mirrors His Own

In an interview with Sadiq Khan last month, I asked the London mayor why he thought that London - and him personally - had become such a target for Donald Trump and his supporters

"London is the antithesis of everything they stand for," he said.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/n...

Radio 4 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds Listen live to Radio 4 on BBC Sounds

You can listen to the programme here - my contribution starts around 5.10pm www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I'll be appearing on BBC Radio 4's PM programme shortly to discuss the findings of the inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess 🎙

Bar leaders’ statement on government’s response to Leveson’s Review of Criminal Courts The Bar leaders have issued a joint statement in response to the news the government plans to curtail the right to jury trials.

Instead of limiting trials, the groups say efficiencies can be made and "resources need to be focused on rebuilding the system and allowing other measures to embed."

You can read the full statement here www.barcouncil.org.uk/resource/bar...

U.K. Plans to End Jury Trials for Crimes with Sentences Under 3 Years

The leaders of multiple barristers' associations have issued a joint statement opposing the government's plans to limit jury trials

They say they have "seen no evidence" it will solve the backlog, and that the proposals have "not been piloted or thoroughly modelled" www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/w...

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts of Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said:

“These charges aren’t directly linked to the terrorist attack which took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue but have come as a result of enquiries conducted by our investigation team."

The charge of preparing acts of terrorism relates solely to allegedly driving Jihad Al-Shamie "to a UK defence location to carry out hostile reconnaissance"

"The assistance provided was not in relation to the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue," the CPS says

Mohammad Bashir has been charged with one offence of preparation of terrorist acts and three offences of sharing jihadist terrorist publications with al-Shamie and others on WhatsApp, with the intent to encourage acts of terrorism

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow

A man has been charged with helping the Manchester synagogue attacker prepare for a different terror attack weeks earlier

Mohammad Bashir, 31, allegedly drove Jihad al-Shamie "to a UK defence location to carry out hostile reconnaissance" on 14 August 2025, prosecutors say

U.K. Police Charge 3rd Man in Effort to Kill Russian Dissident (Published 2021)

Vladimir Putin "must have authorised" the 2018 Salisbury novichok attack and bears “moral responsibility” for the death of a British mother who was accidentally poisoned with the nerve agent that was intended to kill a former spy Sergei Skripal, an inquiry has found
www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/w...

BREAKING: Our fake Chinese AI investor bought access into heart of Labour government Ex-Tory MP facilitated meetings with 10+ Labour MPs and met ministers in “cash-for-access operation”

🔴 BREAKING: Our fake Chinese AI investor bought access to 10+ Labour MPs and minister

Brand new investigation by Democracy for Sale and Led By Donkeys.

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-o...

The last day of the judicial review of the ban of Palestine Action has ended

Dame Victoria Sharp said she and the two other judges would reserve their decision and would be "in touch with parties in the normal way once the judgment ready to hand down", but gave no indication of timescale

U.K. Plans to End Jury Trials for Crimes with Sentences Under 3 Years

David Lammy has announced the details of his plans to restrict jury trials in England and Wales, which he said were "bold but necessary"

But critics say there is no evidence the changes will reduce the backlog, and that juries are not the cause of the crisis
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/w...

I interviewed former Conservative justice secretary Alex Chalk, who told me he would have "done something" to restrict jury trial too, likely akin to the Leveson crown court bench model

But he said the current proposals go "too far" and had jumped from "keyhole surgery to amputation"

But the fact Leveson 2 has not been published will make a controversial policy harder to defend for the government

Anyone who works in criminal courts sees the compound effects of myriad delays and inefficiencies every day and many would like those dealt with before changing jury trial rights

Part 2 of Leveson's court review - into efficiency - has not yet been published

I saw Sir Brian speak at a police conference last month and he said "nothing I have seen in the efficiency review moves the dial" and that his proposals were "critical to save the system from collapse"

U.K. Plans to Restrict Right to Jury Trial in Some Cases in England and Wales

David Lammy will announce the full detail of how he wants to restrict jury trials later today

But I have seen an inter-government briefing showing it goes beyond Leveson's recommendations to affect a larger pool of cases

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/w...

The hearing has ended for today and will continue on Tuesday - part of which will be "closed" to the media and discuss intelligence and security matters

Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn are expected to give judgment at a later date

Sir James argues the ban of Palestine Action doesn't interfere with pro-Palestinian activism, but says: "There is no right to support a terrorist organisation, there is no right not to be subjected to criminal sanction if you choose to breach one of the prohibitions that parliament has laid down."

Sir James says "the judgments parliament has made are the foundation of the [proscription] process and are to be accorded respect" and that the home secretary exercised power given

"Parliament approved the order by affirmative resolution, that is a matter of real significance," he adds

Sir James summarises core argument: "Parliament has decided what the test is for terrorism, it’s decided what 'concerned in' means, it’s decided that if an organisation passes that test it is proscribed and all of the powers apply in order to stifle that organisation…."

Asked about impact on people who merely wished to express support for Palestine Action, Sir James says even if people weren't doing anything illegal before the ban "parliament has decided they are doing something unlawful afterwards" and wanted "full suite of powers" to apply

How a Pro-Palestinian Group Fell Foul of a Long Unused U.K. Terrorism Law

A significant amount of weight is being put on the role of parliament in approving the Terrorism Act 2000 and definition and proscription powers it contained, and approving the order to ban Palestine Action

There was dissent from MPs on both occasions, explored here www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/w...

Interesting back-and-forth between judges and home sec's barrister Sir James Eadie KC about his argument that free speech/human rights protections are lessened by virtue of fact ban made support for PA "support for terrorist activity"

He says if there is "interference" it's proportionate and lawful

Answers to some questions form Sir James:

He says part of home sec's statement on Nato and Ukraine comes from an official submission and "more can be say in closed" (a hearing media and others shut out of on Tuesday)

"Hundreds of millions" damage/loss source was a counter-terror policing report

Very flattered to be called "estimable" by you David! Yes, there's a rather long list to come back on after lunch

These questions go to the basis for banning PA, "relevant considerations" and proportionality

Government argues the ban was a lawful and proportionate exercise of legal definition of terrorism and powers granted to the home secretary by parliament to ban groups "concerned in terrorism"