Sir Keir Starmer has taken an HIV test in an effort to help destigmatise checking for the sexually transmitted virus.
The prime minister took the home test at 10 Downing Street to mark the start of HIV Testing Week, and did so alongside soul singer Beverley Knight, who is a strong advocate for HIV awareness.
Sir Keir said: “It’s really important to do it and I’m really pleased to be able to do it. It’s very easy, very quick.”
Richard Angell, chief executive of HIV charity The Terrence Higgins Trust, said he believes Sir Keir is the first prime minister of a G7, European or NATO nation to take an HIV test.
After saying he was “surprised”, the PM added: “Let’s try to encourage other leaders to do the same thing because it’s really important, it’s easy, it’s convenient and it is much better to know.”
Mr Angell said: “It’s an important symbol for people who live with HIV, for fighting the stigma, and to let the public know that tests are free, confidential and easy and available for everyone during this week, and it will make a big difference.”
Image: Sir Keir with Mr Angell, who is CEO of The Terrence Higgins Trust. Pic: PA
Around 107,000 people live with HIV in the UK, with approximately 4,700 thought to be unaware of their status.
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There is no cure for HIV, which damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease. But there are very effective drug treatments that enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life.
As part of HIV Testing Week, which goes on until Sunday, people can order one of 20,000 free and confidential at-home tests, which provide a result in 15 minutes.
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Sir Keir has pledged to end new transmissions of HIV in England by 2030, and on World Aids Day last year announced £27m for an expanded testing programme in NHS emergency departments.
She said: “Living with HIV today is a world away from the experience that my late best friend Tyrone endured in the early 2000s.
“People living with HIV can now easily know their status, can access effective treatment and live a long, healthy life.
“I wish this was the case for Ty.
“In his memory, I’m using my voice alongside the prime minister to make everyone aware of how easy it is to test.
“People need to hear the crucial message that thanks to effective medication, people living with HIV can’t pass it on, so we can end this epidemic once and for all.”
Two people who died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness have been named by police.
Lincolnshire Police said 48-year-old Lee Baker and his 10-year-old daughter Esme Baker, both from the Nottingham area, were killed in the blaze.
However, formal identification is still yet to take place and “could take some time”, the force said.
Emergency services were alerted to a fire at Golden Beach Holiday Park, in the village of Ingoldmells, at 3.53am on Saturday.
In a statement issued through police, a member of the Baker family said: “Lee and Esme were excited to be spending the first weekend of the holidays together.
“We are all utterly devastated at what’s happened.
“This loss is incomprehensible at the moment, and we ask for people to give us space to process this utterly heartbreaking loss.”
A GoFundMe page set up for the victims’ family described the father and daughter as “two peas in a pod” who were “both happy-go-lucky people who loved life”. It has so far raised more than £3,000.
The police force, together with Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.
Detective Inspector Lee Nixon said: “We believe we might be close to arriving at a working hypothesis.
“We are working hard to validate the facts available to us to be able to provide answers for the family and loved ones of those who were very tragically taken by this fire.
“Yet the evident intensity of the fire has made this task incredibly challenging.”
Dan Moss, from Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, said: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family at this time.
“Our Fire Investigation Team is working with colleagues from Lincolnshire Police, and a full investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
“Once investigations are complete, local fire crews and our community fire safety team will be on hand to talk to people in the area and address any fire safety concerns they may have, at what will be an upsetting time.”
A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.
More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.
It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.
“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.
“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.
Image: The wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown. Pic: Sky Watch NI
Image: More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. Pic: Sky Watch NI
On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.
Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”
Image: Moors Valley Country Park blackened by fires this week
Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.
In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.
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Wildfires spread across nature reserve
Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.
Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.
Police are investigating after a man was shot dead in County Durham.
Officers were called to an address in Elm Street, Stanley, at about 5.20pm on Saturday after reports of a “disturbance”, Durham Constabulary said.
A man in his 50s was found to have been shot and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His family have been told and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Specialist crime scene investigators are at the scene, and officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries.
A cordon is in place and is expected to stay there for some time.
Detective Superintendent Neil Fuller said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which a man has been shot and has sadly died.”
He added: “Residents may see an increased police presence in the area. I would like to thank them for their support while we carry out this investigation.
“Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time.”