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Victims of the infected blood scandal have called for former health secretary Ken Clarke to be stripped of his peerage.

Lord Clarke was heavily criticised in a report by Sir Brian Langstaff, chair of a seven-year inquiry into the scandal that killed more than 3,000 and infected more than 30,000 Britons with HIV and Hepatitis C with infected blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s.

The politician was a health minister in Margaret Thatcher’s government from 1982 to 1985, then health secretary from 1988 to 1990 before becoming home secretary and chancellor under John Major.

He described the infections in 1985 as “the unavoidable adverse effects which can unhappily arise from many medical procedures”.

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Sir Brian said there was evidence by 1982 that infections were happening through imported blood products, meaning Lord Clarke’s claims “gave false assurances, lacked candour” and were misleading.

Victims have now said Lord Clarke should no longer be allowed to continue sitting in the House of Lords. He was handed a peerage in 2020 by Boris Johnson.

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Des Collins, a lawyer representing 1,500 victims, said he should be stripped of his peerage.

“There are a lot who haven’t been singled out, but he was one of them,” he said.

Read more: Who is criticised in infected blood report?

Ken Clarke during the Sky Bet Championship match at The City Ground, Nottingham
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Ken Clarke was made a peer in 2020

And Maria Armour, who contracted Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion in 1981 but only found out in 2004, said: “He should definitely give his peerage up.

“He and Jeremy Hunt should be arrested for their deceit and the arrogance they showed during the inquiry.”

Current government minister Mel Stride told Sky News Lord Clarke has always been “a decent and nice man” to him, and “always been very polite and kind to me”.

But he said he is “concerned” by the points raised about Lord Clarke in the inquiry report and “there are clearly questions that are being posed that need to be addressed”.

However, he said it is not for him to decide if Lord Clarke is stripped of his peerage as that is a matter for the forfeiture committee, which decides who gets admitted to the House of Lords.

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‘There are questions that need to be addressed’

It is very rare for a peerage to be removed as it requires an Act of Parliament, however victims think he should give up his peerage voluntarily.

Victim Andrew Evans, chairman and co-founder of campaign group Tainted Blood, told Sky News: “I think Ken does have a role to play, but he’s certainly not the only one.”

Lord Clarke was also accused in the report by of being “somewhat blasé” when he gave evidence to the inquiry about the collection of blood from prisoners as late as 1983.

His manner was described as “argumentative”, “unfairly dismissive” and “disparaging” towards those who have suffered, with Sir Brian saying he played “some part” in that suffering.

The Thatcher government, as well as subsequent governments and health secretaries, continually said infections were “inadvertent” and patients were given “the best treatment available on the then current medical advice”.

The inquiry report concluded that was not true and said the factual basis for the claim was unclear.

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How Vietnam is using crypto to fix its FATF reputation

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How Vietnam is using crypto to fix its FATF reputation

How Vietnam is using crypto to fix its FATF reputation

Vietnam is leveraging crypto regulation to meet FATF standards, combat digital asset fraud and rebuild its international financial reputation.

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UAE Golden Visa is ‘being developed independently‘ — TON Foundation

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UAE Golden Visa is ‘being developed independently‘ — TON Foundation

UAE Golden Visa is ‘being developed independently‘ — TON Foundation

The TON Foundation distanced itself from initial Golden Visa claims, saying the move is an independent initiative with no official backing from the United Arab Emirates government.

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Building societies step up protest against Reeves’s cash ISA reforms

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Building societies step up protest against Reeves's cash ISA reforms

Building society chiefs will this week intensify their protests against the chancellor’s plans to cut cash ISA limits by warning that it will push up borrowing costs for homeowners and businesses.

Sky News has obtained the draft of a letter being circulated by the Building Societies Association (BSA) among its members which will demand that Rachel Reeves abandons a proposed move to slash savers’ annual cash ISA allowance from the existing £20,000 threshold.

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The draft letter, which is expected to be published this week, warns the chancellor that her decision would deter savers, disrupt Labour’s housebuilding ambitions and potentially present an obstacle to economic growth by triggering higher funding costs.

“Cash ISAs are a cornerstone of personal savings for millions across the UK, helping people from all walks of life to build financial resilience and achieve their savings goals,” the draft letter said.

“Beyond their personal benefits, Cash ISAs play a vital role in the broader economy.

“The funds deposited in these accounts support lending, helping to keep mortgages and loans affordable and accessible.

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“Cutting Cash ISA limits would make this funding more scarce which would have the knock-on effect of making loans to households and businesses more expensive and harder to come by.

“This would undermine efforts to stimulate economic growth, including the government’s commitment to delivering 1.5 million new homes.

“Cutting the Cash ISA limit would send a discouraging message to savers, who are sensibly trying to plan for the future and undermine a product that has stood the test of time.”

The chancellor is reportedly preparing to announce a review of cash ISA limits as part of her Mansion House speech next week.

While individual building society bosses have come out publicly to express their opposition to the move, the BSA letter is likely to be viewed with concern by Treasury officials.

The Nationwide is by far Britain’s biggest building society, with the likes of the Coventry, Yorkshire and Skipton also ranking among the sector’s largest players.

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In the draft letter, which is likely to be signed by dozens of building society bosses, the BSA said the chancellor’s proposals “would make the whole ISA regime more complex and make it harder for people to transfer money between cash and investments”.

“Restricting Cash ISAs won’t encourage people to invest, as it won’t suddenly change their appetite to take on risk,” it said.

“We know that barriers to investing are primarily behavioural, therefore building confidence and awareness are far more important.”

The BSA called on Ms Reeves to back “a long-term consumer awareness and information campaign to educate people about the benefits of investing, alongside maintaining strong support for saving”.

“We therefore urge you to affirm your support for Cash ISAs by maintaining the current £20,000 limit.

“Preserving this threshold will enable households to continue building financial security while supporting broader economic stability and growth.”

The BSA declined to comment on Monday on the leaked letter, although one source said the final version was subject to revision.

The Treasury has so far refused to comment on its plans.

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