SNP leadership: Mhairi Black endorses Humza Yousaf in race to replace Nicola Sturgeon
SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black has backed Humza Yousaf in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish First Minister.
Ms Black said Mr Yousaf was the only candidate that would take “our party and our country forward”.
Mr Yousaf, the current Scottish health secretary, faces competition for the top job from Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and former community safety minister Ash Regan.
Mhairi Black and Humza Yousaf
Paisley and Renfrewshire MP Ms Black endorsed Mr Yousaf after describing how she was “incredibly hurt” by Ms Forbes’ remarks on gay marriage.
Ms Forbes, a Free Church of Scotland member, revealed how she would not have voted for the legislation on same-sex unions had she been at Holyrood at the time.
Ms Black, who married her wife last year, also said Mr Yousaf was the only candidate “willing to take the fight directly to Westminster” over its decision to veto controversial gender recognition reforms passed by Holyrood.
Speaking on Sunday, Ms Black said: “Having listened to the early stages of the leadership campaign it is already clear to me that Humza is the only candidate that can take our party and our country forward.
“His vision of a progressive and fairer independent Scotland is one which I share.”
Mr Yousaf “understands the challenges the party faces, particularly internally, and is not afraid to rise to those challenges,” Ms Black added.
Scottish National Party leadership candidate Kate Forbes
He said he was “thrilled” to receive Ms Black’s endorsement.
“Like me, Mhairi has a record of standing up for equality and social progress.
“I am glad she shares my vision for building the team in government, and across the party, to take us on to independence.
“Mhairi understands, like me, that the SNP must earn our support, rather than simply expect it.”
‘Not wedded to de-facto referendum’
Mr Yousaf met supporters at the V&A Waterfront in Dundee on Saturday as the leadership contest continues.
Setting out his views on how the SNP should move forward after Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation, her would-be replacement said the Scottish independence campaign should not get stuck in a “quagmire of process”.
Former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon
If he does win the leadership, he vowed the party will have a series of regional assemblies to have “honest and frank discussions” with members.
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“I think all options that are within a legal framework should actually be on the table,” Mr Yousaf said.
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Sturgeon: What next for independence?
“I’ve made my views clear: I’m not wedded to the de facto referendum idea.
“I think there’s advantages but certainly disadvantages to that option.”
Mr Yousaf joins Dominic Raab, David Lammy, Mark Francois, Bernie Sanders and Mary Bousted on Sophy Ridge on Sunday, from 8.30am on Sky News
UK
Urgent letter to home secretary over violence against women and girls strategy – as it omits child abuse
Ten child protection organisations have written an urgent letter to the home secretary expressing concern about the omission of child sexual abuse from the government’s violence against women and girls strategy, following a Sky News report.
Groups including the NSPCC, Barnardo’s and The Children’s Society wrote to Yvette Cooper to say that violence against women and girls (VAWG) and child sexual abuse are “inherently and deeply connected”, suggesting any “serious strategy” to address VAWG needs to focus on child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The letter comes after Sky News revealed an internal Home Office document, titled Our draft definition of VAWG, which said that child sexual abuse and exploitation is not “explicitly within the scope” of their strategy, due to be published in September.
Poppy Eyre when she was four years old
Responding to Sky News’ original report, Poppy Eyre, who was sexually abused and raped by her grandfather when she was four, said: “VAWG is – violence against women and girls. If you take child sexual abuse out of it, where are the girls?”
The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, which is funded by the Home Office and a signatory to the letter, estimates 500,000 children in England and Wales are sexually abused every year.
The NSPCC “welcome” the government’s pledge to halve VAWG in a decade, but is “worried that if they are going to fulfil this commitment, the strategy absolutely has to include clear deliverable objectives to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation too”, the head of policy, Anna Edmundson, told Sky News.
Poppy is a survivor of child sexual abuse
She warned the government “will miss a golden opportunity” and the needs of thousands of girls will be “overlooked” if child sexual abuse and exploitation is not “at the heart of its flagship strategy”.
The government insists the VAWG programme will include action to tackle child sexual abuse, but says it also wants to create a distinctive plan to “ensure those crimes get the specialist response they demand”.
“My message to the government is that if you’re going to make child sexual abuse a separate thing, we need it now,” Poppy told Sky News.
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Rape Crisis, which is one of the largest organisations providing support to women in England and Wales, shares these concerns.
It wants plans to tackle child sexual abuse to be part of the strategy, and not to sit outside it.
“If a violence against women and girls strategy doesn’t include sexual violence towards girls, then it runs the risk of being a strategy for addressing some violence towards some females, but not all,” chief executive Ciara Bergman said.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government is “working tirelessly to tackle the appalling crimes of violence against women and girls and child sexual exploitation and abuse, as part of our Safer Streets mission”.
“We are already investing in new programmes and introducing landmark laws to overhaul the policing and criminal justice response to these crimes, as well as acting on the recommendations of Baroness Casey’s review into group-based Child Sexual Exploitation, and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse,” they added.
UK
Man and boy arrested on suspicion of arson after restaurant fire leaves two in critical condition
A 54-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a restaurant fire in east London on Friday.
Three people were taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after the fire at the Indian Aroma in Ilford.
Two remained in a critical condition on Sunday morning, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The restaurant suffered extensive damage in the blaze.
Two further victims are thought to have left the scene before officers arrived, Scotland Yard said.
Woodford Avenue from above. Pic: UK News and Pictures
Police are still trying to identify them.
CCTV footage seen by the PA news agency appears to show a group of people wearing face coverings walk into the restaurant and pour liquid on the floor.
Seconds later, the inside of the restaurant is engulfed in flames.
“While we have made two arrests, our investigation continues at pace so we can piece together what happened on Friday evening,” said the Met Police’s DCI Mark Rogers.
“I know the community [is] concerned and shocked by this incident.
The moment the fire broke out.
“I would urge anyone with any information or concerns to come forward and speak to police.”
Hospital porter Edward Thawe went to help after hearing screams from his nearby home.
He described the scene as “horrible” and “more than scary and the sort of thing that you don’t want to look at twice.”
He said: “I heard screaming and people saying they had called the police.”
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The 43-year-old said he saw a woman and a severely burned man who may have been customers.
Another witness, who did not want to be named, said he saw three “severely burned” people being doused by the emergency services and given oxygen.
“I can only imagine the pain they were going through,” he said.
On Saturday, the London Ambulance Service told Sky News: “We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and paramedics from our hazardous area response team.
“We treated five people for burns and smoke inhalation. We took two patients to a major trauma centre and three others to local hospitals.”
The police investigation is continuing.
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