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As we walked to one of the wings at HMP Elmley – there was screaming.

Persistent screaming from a prisoner.

He lifted up his top, revealing numerous scars across his body, and shouted: “This is what Elmley does to you! Self harm! This is what Elmley is doing!”

The rate of self harm in the male prison estate across England and Wales rose by 25% in the last year, so this isn’t uncommon. But quite quickly, it offered an evocative snapshot of life inside.

We went through security at about 7.45am on a weekday morning, before heading into a briefing with the governor about what to expect from our day at Elmley, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.

Just as she said the word “unpredictable”, an alarm went off. The duty governor’s walkie-talkie was buzzing. He left the room.

A member of staff had been violently assaulted during morning unlock.

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HMP Elmley is currently operating with a 65% remand population

The staff member was ok. But it was violent.

Officer Price, who manages the wing, told Sky News it’s symptomatic of tight conditions, particularly in the winter as the heating is on and the cells are hot.

“A lot of frustration builds up. It means there’s more chance of violence going up, of self harm going up, because they are spending so much time looking at the same four walls. One of my staff members got assaulted this morning – that is proof in the pudding,” he said.

At points here over the last six months they’ve had just four free cell spaces, operating at almost 100% capacity.

On Tuesday, the government is releasing another round of prisoners early in an effort to free up space across an overcrowded prison estate.

Eligible offenders can be freed after serving 40% of their sentence. It’s a measure they’re trialling for 18 months.

Alongside this, they’ve launched a review of sentencing policy led by former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke who will be considering the effectiveness of fines and tougher community sentences, as an alternative to custody.

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When the cells are hot ‘frustration’ among inmates builds up

The population pressures in this prison have been a bit better in recent weeks, but still, you can feel the friction.

The governor told us at times recently it’s felt like “a pressure cooker”, made worse by a summer of riots where there were “daily calls” to check that “every bed” was being used.

‘Every day is unpredictable’

What strikes you inside is just how loud it is – all the time.

This was by all accounts not the worst day inside a prison. In fact, it felt fairly typical.

But it was just so loud. Absolutely everywhere. Even when the prisoners were locked up – one inmate was blaring loud music from behind his cell door. It was a complete sensory overload.

Some of the staff told us that they’d developed hearing problems as a result of working inside.

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“Every day is unpredictable, you don’t know what you’re coming into,” said Officer Musmeci.

Asked what a bad day looks like, she reels off a list: “It could be fighting a fire, it could be giving CPR, it could be stopping a giant fight, a near on riot, it could be anything.

“Some days you come in and you’ve got all of that in one day. Some days you’ve got none of it,” she said.

Any time outside the cells feels frenetic.

We watched prisoners head from the wing to the servery as they got their lunch. I was asking staff about the food options but had to repeat my question a few times before I actually heard what they said.

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‘The noise is like nothing I’d experienced before’

The clashing, the banging, the shouting. The noise is like nothing I’d experienced before.

The food options were screamed not said.

‘A revolving door’

On the menu was a tomato pasta dish, falafel and couscous, a chicken pie slice, or a cheese and tomato roll. The prison spends £3 a day per inmate on food.

It might not sound like a lot of money to spend on a person’s diet, and yet prisoners here suggest people being released are wanting to return to keep a roof over their head. They question the effectiveness of early release measures.

Matt, who is on remand for drug offences, told me it’s like “a revolving door”.

“I’m seeing a lot of people being released homeless. They’re coming back for breaches of one sort of another, because they’d rather be in prison. They want a roof over their head,” he said.

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Timothy, also in prison for drug offences, said the same: “You’ve got people now that break the law purposefully because they haven’t got anywhere to live.

“I can name four people off the top of my head, but there’s more, that cause damage to come back because they haven’t got anywhere to live.”

This is predominately a remand jail – many are waiting to be sentenced or awaiting trial.

The prison is set up to be about 40% remand. They’re currently operating with a 65% remand population. Many of them only stay for a short amount of time, which makes purposeful activity much more restricted.

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The governor told Sky News at times recently it’s felt like ‘a pressure cooker’

“It can be very difficult”, said Mandy Huggins, head of education at Elmley. “There’s a high churn.”

We’re inside the laundry room where the more serious offenders work.

“What it means is that you have a higher level of unemployed prisoners. The last thing we want is people in their cells longer than they need to be. Or people that want to work that aren’t able to,” Ms Huggins said.

You can tell the staff really care about implementing these schemes. Success for Ms Huggins is “impacting the prisoners’ lives”.

But with population pressures the way they are, almost everything is more difficult. And there’s some way to go before the prison estate is out of this crisis.

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From September: ‘There wasn’t one space on the prison wing’

The government said it “inherited prisons in crisis, within days of collapse” and is clear it is implementing measures such as the review of sentencing to “ensure we never again have more prisoners than prison spaces”.

It said it has been “forced to introduce an early release programme to stop a crisis that would have overwhelmed the criminal justice system, meaning we would no longer be able to lock up dangerous criminals and protect the public”.

The government has pledged to recruit 1,000 more trainee probation officers by March 2025.

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Man shot dead by armed police at Milton Keynes railway station

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Man shot dead by armed police at Milton Keynes railway station

A man has been shot dead by police at Milton Keynes railway station.

Officers from Thames Valley Police and British Transport Police were called to reports of a man carrying a firearm at the station at 12.55pm on Tuesday.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) said its armed officers responded and challenged the man before firing shots.

Despite attempts to save the man, he was pronounced dead at 1.44pm.

Police say they do not believe there is any further risk to the public.

The shots were fired in the station square outside the building and police have put a cordon in place around the area.

A few entrances to the building have been closed off, but London Northwestern Railway said there has been no impact on services.

It warned passengers there is reduced access to the front of the station as emergency services remain at the scene.

Pic: PA
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Forensic experts outside the station. Pic: PA

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has said TVP had referred the incident to the watchdog.

A spokesperson said it had begun an independent probe into the shooting, adding it was “notified by TVP shortly after the incident” and that IOPC investigators have been sent to the station.

The spokesperson added: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who died and all those who have been affected by this incident.

“Our role in these circumstances is to independently investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by the police.

“We declared an independent investigation at 2.26pm. It is in its very early stages and no further information is available at this time.”

As of 5pm on Tuesday, a large plastic barrier was erected outside the exit to the station, with an officer standing guard.

Emily Darlington, Milton Keynes Central MP, said: “I was shocked to hear of the events outside Milton Keynes Central Station today. My thoughts are with everybody affected, and I am grateful for the swift action taken by the emergency services to keep the public safe.”

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Sir Keir Starmer says US-UK trade talks ‘well advanced’ and rejects ‘knee-jerk’ response to Donald Trump tariffs

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Sir Keir Starmer says US-UK trade talks 'well advanced' and rejects 'knee-jerk' response to Donald Trump tariffs

Sir Keir Starmer has said US-UK trade talks are “well advanced” ahead of tariffs expected to be imposed by Donald Trump on the UK this week – but rejected a “knee-jerk” response.

Speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, the prime minister said the UK is “working hard on an economic deal” with the US and said “rapid progress” has been made on it ahead of tariffs expected to be imposed on Wednesday.

But, he admitted: “Look, the likelihood is there will be tariffs. Nobody welcomes that, nobody wants a trade war.

“But I have to act in the national interest and that means all options have to remain on the table.”

Politics latest: Ministers hail ‘huge’ minimum wage boost as bills rise

Sir Keir added: “We are discussing economic deals. We’re well advanced.

“These would normally take months or years, and in a matter of weeks, we’ve got well advanced in those discussions, so I think that a calm approach, a collected approach, not a knee-jerk approach, is what’s needed in the best interests of our country.”

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Keir Starmer

Downing Street said on Monday the UK is expecting to be hit by new US tariffs on Wednesday – branded “liberation day” by the US president – as a deal to exempt British goods would not be reached in time.

A 25% levy on car and car parts had already been announced but the new tariffs are expected to cover all exports to the US.

Jonathan Reynolds, the business and trade secretary, earlier told Sky News he is “hopeful” the tariffs can be reversed soon.

But he warned: “The longer we don’t have a potential resolution, the more we will have to consider our own position in relation to [tariffs], precluding retaliatory tariffs.”

He added the government was taking a “calm-headed” approach in the hope a deal can be agreed but said it is only “reasonable” retaliatory tariffs are an option, echoing Sir Keir’s sentiments over the weekend.

Read more:
Why a figure of 48% is important as Trump tariffs near
Starmer and Trump discuss US-UK ‘prosperity’ deal

Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One. Pic: Reuters
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Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. Pic: Reuters

Tariff announcement on Wednesday

Mr Trump has been threatening tariffs – import taxes – on countries with the biggest trade imbalances with the US.

However, over the weekend, he suggested the tariffs would hit all countries, but did not name them or reveal which industries would be targeted.

Read more: How Trump’s tariffs could affect the UK

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‘Everything on table over US tariffs’

Mr Trump will unveil his tariff plan on Wednesday afternoon at the first Rose Garden news conference of his second term, the White House press secretary said.

“Wednesday, it will be Liberation Day in America, as President Trump has so proudly dubbed it,” Karoline Leavitt said.

“The president will be announcing a tariff plan that will roll back the unfair trade practices that have been ripping off our country for decades. He’s doing this in the best interest of the American worker.”

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Trump’s tariffs: What can we expect?

Tariffs would cut UK economy by 1%

UK government forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said a 20 percentage point increase in tariffs on UK goods and services would cut the size of the British economy by 1% and force tax rises this autumn.

Global markets remained flat or down on Monday in anticipation of the tariffs, with the FTSE 100 stock exchange trading about 1.3% lower on Monday, closing with a 0.9% loss.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.6% after a volatile day which saw it down as much as 1.7% in the morning.

However, the FTSE 100 is expected to open about 0.4% higher on Tuesday, while Asian markets also steadied, with Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 broadly unchanged after a 4% slump yesterday.

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What are Donald Trump’s tariffs, what is ‘liberation day’ and how does it all affect the UK?

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What are Donald Trump's tariffs, what is 'liberation day' and how does it all affect the UK?

If there is a word that has dominated Donald Trump’s second term, it’s tariffs. 

Aluminium, steel, cars and champagne have all been in his firing line, while China, Canada and Mexico are the countries targeted with the heaviest costs.

Along the way, there have been threats, pauses and postponements.

So what are tariffs, what is in the pipeline – and what could all this mean for the UK?

What are tariffs and why is Trump threatening to use them?

Tariffs are taxes on goods imported into the US.

It is the importers buying the goods who pay the tariffs – therefore, American companies.

Ultimately, the intent is to protect US manufacturing and bolster jobs by making foreign-made products less attractive.

However, there is a knock-on effect: to compensate for tariffs, companies put up their prices, so customers end up paying more for goods.

Tariffs can also damage foreign countries as they make their products pricier and harder to sell.

In his second term, Mr Trump has frequently used them – or the threat of them – as a trade weapon.

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Trump’s tariffs: What can we expect?

They are a key part of Mr Trump’s efforts to reshape global trade relations, and he plans to impose a swathe of what he calls “reciprocal” taxes that would match tariffs levied by other nations.

Tariffs were also part of his playbook in his first term, when he imposed taxes on most goods coming from China and used them as a bargaining chip to force Canada and Mexico to renegotiate a North American trade pact.

On his first day back in office, the US president promised 25% tariffs on all products coming into the US from its nearest neighbours Mexico and Canada – ostensibly to force the countries to tackle illegal migration and fentanyl crossing the border.

What is liberation day?

Mr Trump has branded 2 April “liberation day”, when he could unveil the reciprocal tariffs on countries deemed to be giving the US a bad deal on trade.

The extent of potential tariffs and countries affected remains unclear, with Mr Trump at times sending mixed messages.

On 30 March, he said “all countries” could expect to be hit by tariffs.

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What is Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’?

Speaking from Air Force One, the US president rubbished a question from a reporter who asked whether it was true he was planning on targeting between 10 and 15 countries.

“Who told you 10-15 countries? You didn’t hear it from me,” he said.

When pressed on how many he was planning to hit, he said: “You’d start with all countries, let’s see what happens.”

Two days prior, he said he was open to carving out deals with countries seeking to avoid US tariffs, but that those agreements would be negotiated after 2 April.

He had previously said he “may give a lot of countries breaks, but it’s reciprocal”, adding: “We might be even nicer than that.”

How could the UK be affected?

The UK hopes an economic deal with the US will spare the country from some of the tariffs.

Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump have had “productive negotiations” towards a UK-US “economic prosperity deal”, Downing Street has said.

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‘Everything on table over US tariffs’

The two leaders discussed a possible deal in a phone call on Sunday and agreed negotiations will “continue at pace”, according to a statement released on Sunday 30 March.

The day before the so-called “liberation day”, Sir Keir told Sky News political editor Beth Rigby the UK was “working hard on an economic deal” with the US and said “rapid progress” has been made.

But, he admitted: “Look, the likelihood is there will be tariffs. Nobody welcomes that, nobody wants a trade war.

“But I have to act in the national interest and that means all options have to remain on the table.”

Sir Keir added: “We are discussing economic deals. We’re well advanced.

“These would normally take months or years, and in a matter of weeks, we’ve got well advanced in those discussions, so I think that a calm approach, a collected approach, not a knee-jerk approach, is what’s needed in the best interests of our country.”

Mr Trump has not explicitly said the UK is in his sights for further tariffs.

Data shows no great trade imbalances – the gap between what you import and export from a certain country – and UK figures show no trade deficit with the United States.

UK ministers have previously suggested this could be good news for avoiding new levies.

But the tariffs Mr Trump has already announced would have a big impact on the UK – particularly the car tariff.

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Business secretary hopes Trump tariffs will be ‘reversed in weeks or months’

Jonathan Reynolds, the business and trade secretary, earlier told Sky News he is “hopeful” the tariffs can be reversed soon.

But he warned: “The longer we don’t have a potential resolution, the more we will have to consider our own position in relation to [tariffs], precluding retaliatory tariffs.”

He added the government was taking a “calm-headed” approach in the hope a deal can be agreed, but said it is only “reasonable” that retaliatory tariffs are an option, echoing Sir Keir’s sentiments over the weekend.

What tariffs have already been announced?

Some tariffs have already come into effect, while Mr Trump has confirmed some that will come in on 2 April.

He has said a 25% tariff on all cars imported to the US will come into effect, with a similar tariff on car parts expected to follow in May.

This could prove even more complicated for American car makers, who source components from around the world even if the vehicle is made in the US.

Trump tariffs teaser for SEO liberation day explainer

But Mr Trump has insisted the move will “continue to spur growth”, pointing to plans from Hyundai – the South Korean car maker – to build a $5.8bn (£4.5bn) steel plant in Louisiana.

The tariff could have a huge impact on the UK’s car industry, including on manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce.

Official data shows the US is the UK car sector’s largest single market by country, accounting for £6.4bn worth of car exports in 2023 – 18.4% of the total.

Trump has also said he will place a 25% tariff on all imports from any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela, which includes the US itself – in addition to imposing new tariffs on the South American country.

On 12 March, a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports to the US came into effect, affecting UK products worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

The move came after he placed a 10% tax on all imports from China, which he later doubled to 20%.

He placed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, but paused them for a month two days after they came into effect, meaning they are set to resume on 2 April.

The pause did not fully cover a tariff of 10% on Canadian energy products.

What has been the global response to tariffs?

There has widely been condemnation of the tariffs, especially from countries worst affected like Mexico and Canada.

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Canadian PM: ‘Tariffs are an attack’

Some have imposed, or threatened to impose, retaliatory tariffs.

China has already hit back with retaliatory tariffs covering a range of US goods, including a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas products, a 10% tariff on US crude oil and tariffs of up to 15% on key US farm exports.

Canada imposed tariffs of its own on US products, including a 25% reciprocal tariff on US steel and aluminium products and tariffs worth an estimated C$29.8bn (£16bn) on a wide range of US products including orange juice, peanut butter, alcohol, coffee and clothing.

Read more on tariffs:
It may be harder for the UK to trump metals tariffs
Stock markets tumble as Trump tariffs loom

The European Union has said it will impose retaliatory tariffs on the US, but when they will come into force is unknown.

The European Commission initially threatened to impose “countermeasures” affecting €26bn (£21.9bn) of US goods from 1 April, but later delayed this until the middle of April.

The bloc said the delay was because it wanted “additional time for discussions” with the US after Mr Trump threatened a 200% tariff on EU alcohol – including wine and champagne – if the bloc imposed duties on US whiskey.

Any tariffs imposed by the bloc would not only impact US steel and aluminium products, but also textiles, home appliances, agricultural goods and whiskey.

Why tariffs could cost you – even if Trump spares UK

Even if no tariffs are put on all UK exports to the US, consumers globally will still be impacted by the wider trade war, particularly in the US.

Economists believe that tariffs will raise costs in the US, sparking a wave of inflation that will keep interest rates higher for longer. The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, is mandated to act to bring inflation down.

More expensive borrowing and costlier goods and services could bring about an economic downturn in the US and have knock-on effects in the UK.

Forecasts from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) predict lower UK economic growth due to higher global interest rates.

It estimated that UK GDP (a measure of everything produced in the economy) could be between 2.5% and 3% lower over five years and 0.7% lower this year.

The Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy thinktank said a 20% across-the-board tariff, impacting the UK, could lead to a £22bn reduction in the UK’s US exports, with the hardest-hit sectors including fishing and mining.

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