PM vows to ‘stop at nothing to get more rapists behind bars’ after Sarah Everard murder
Boris Johnson has said the government will “stop at nothing to make sure that we get more rapists behind bars” in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard.
The prime minister said he wanted to have “more successful prosecutions for rape and for sexual violence”, adding: “Because that, I think, is going wrong.”
Ms Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by Wayne Couzens, who was a serving police officer when he carried out the killing of the 33-year-old marketing executive in March.
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‘Every police officer should be re-vetted’
Couzens, who strangled Ms Everard with his police belt after kidnapping her under the guise of an arrest, was handed a whole life order at the Old Bailey earlier this week.
Questions have been raised about police vetting procedures after it was revealed that Couzens was linked to a flashing incident in 2015, and two more incidents days before he killed Ms Everard.
In addition, the police watchdog is investigating five officers over claims they traded misogynistic, racist, and homophobic material with Couzens over WhatsApp months before he killed Ms Everard, according to a report in The Times.
Speaking to Sky News, a former senior Metropolitan Police chief superintendent said every police officer in the UK should be re-vetted.
In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on the first day of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Mr Johnson dismissed calls for an immediate independent public inquiry.
He said investigations by the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct should be allowed to run their course.
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IDS calls for Met commissioner to resign
The PM added: “We do need to look systemically at not just the Wayne Couzens case but the whole handling of rape, domestic violence, sexual violence and female complaints about harassment all together.”
He also backed advice from the Met Police for women to flag down a passing bus if they are stopped by an officer they do not trust.
The advice, which has drawn heavy criticism, also included suggestions to shout, knock on doors or call 999.
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‘This is an issue that starts with men’
“If you are suspicious about the way in which you are being treated by a police officer and you are worried for some reason, then clearly you should seek help in the way you have described,” Mr Johnson told the BBC when asked about that advice.
“My view is that the police do – overwhelmingly – a wonderful job and what I want is the public, and women in particular, girls and young women, women of all ages, to trust the police.
“They are overwhelmingly trustworthy.”
Are women safe on our streets?
The murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police officer has resulted in an outpouring of concern over women’s safety in the UK.
We would like you to share your experiences, and your questions for our panel of experts. We’d also love to hear your solutions.
Email thegreatdebate@sky.uk to get involved.
Politics
Chancellor Rachel Reeves considering ‘changes’ to ISAs – and says there’s too much focus on ‘risk’ in investing
The chancellor has confirmed she is considering “changes” to ISAs – and said there has been too much focus on “risk” in members of the public investing.
In her second annual Mansion House speech to the financial sector, Rachel Reeves said she recognised “differing views” over the popular tax-free savings accounts, in which savers can currently put up to £20,000 a year.
She was reportedly considering reducing the threshold to as low as £4,000 a year, in a bid to encourage people to put money into stocks and shares instead and boost the economy.
However the chancellor has shelved any immediate planned changes after fierce backlash from building societies and consumer groups.
In her speech to key industry figures on Tuesday evening, Ms Reeves said: “I will continue to consider further changes to ISAs, engaging widely over the coming months and recognising that despite the differing views on the right approach, we are united in wanting better outcomes for both savers and for the UK economy.”
She added: “For too long, we have presented investment in too negative a light, quick to warn people of the risks, without giving proper weight to the benefits.”
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Rachel Reeves’s fiscal dilemma
Ms Reeves’s speech, the first major one since the welfare bill climbdown two weeks ago, appeared to encourage regulators to focus less on risks and more on the benefits of investing in things like the stock market and government bonds (loans issued by states to raise funds with an interest rate paid in return).
She welcomed action by the financial regulator to review risk warning rules and the campaign to promote retail investment, which the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is launching next year.
“Our tangled system of financial advice and guidance has meant that people cannot get the right support to make decisions for themselves”, Ms Reeves told the event in London.
Read more:
Should you get Lifetime ISA? Two key issues to consider
Building societies protest against proposed ISA reforms
Is there £15bn of wiggle room in Reeves’s fiscal rules?
Last year, Ms Reeves said post-financial crash regulation had “gone too far” and set a course for cutting red tape.
On Tuesday, she said she would announce a package of City changes, including a new competitive framework for a part of the insurance industry and a regulatory regime for asset management.
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Reeves is ‘totally’ up for the job
In response to Ms Reeves’s address, shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: “Rachel Reeves should have used her speech this evening to rule out massive tax rises on businesses and working people. The fact that she didn’t should send a shiver down the spine of taxpayers across the country.”
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The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, also spoke at the Mansion House event and said Donald Trump’s taxes on US imports would slow the economy and trade imbalances should be addressed.
“Increasing tariffs creates the risk of fragmenting the world economy, and thereby reducing activity”, he said.
Fairshake reported raising $52 billion from the crypto industry in the first half of 2025, at a time when candidates previously supported by the PAC were providing crucial votes.
Programmable regulation could be the solution to legacy regulatory frameworks struggling to keep pace with DeFi’s rapidly evolving ecosystems. Embedding compliance in code can bring legal clarity, reduce risk and foster innovation in DeFi.
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