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Busloads of demonstrators came from across the UK to march through London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on Saturday – the 10th demonstration of its kind since the conflict began.

For all the drums, horns and clamour of this protest, the build up to it has had more political noise than most, with the prime minster telling police chiefs that mob rule is replacing democratic rule and making a speech on the steps of Downing Street warning of extremists infiltrating the march.

“Mob rule,” said Pat from Scunthorpe, indignantly, when I relayed the prime minister’s words. She had travelled down to London with three friends.

“It a ridiculous statement to make.

“Look at all these people along here.

“It’s the government being inflammatory against people trying to protest peacefully.”

Pic: PA
Image:
Pic: PA

Preparations for a demonstration calling for ceasefire in London.
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Preparations for a demonstration calling for ceasefire in London.

One of the first people I met in the throng certainly didn’t fit the characterisation of ‘mob’: Welsh singer Charlotte Church, who told me she would be singing a song later and wanted to soak up the atmosphere of the march before making her speech.

Jason Farrell talks with Charlotte Church at a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
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Jason Farrell talks with Charlotte Church

Further along, I met Ian from Hertfordshire.

“Gaza; it’s hell on earth,” he said, “and all these people in power just sit by and watch it happen.”

A woman from Coventry added: “It’s standing up for humanity and that’s what we are all here for. From all races, all religions, standing up for one thing only, and that’s a ceasefire now.”

As the flood of people wound around Hyde Park Corner and alongside the high-walled gardens of Buckingham Palace, it passed a contingent of around 200 Jewish campaigners behind a banner, also calling for a ceasefire.

There were cheers as the two groups merged.

Among them was Jewish pro-Palestinian campaigner Gillian Mosely. I put to her the words of the counter-extremist tsar, Robin Simcox, that protests were turning London into “a no-go area” for Jewish people. She described that as “absurd”, adding “none of us are scared”.

But just near Westminster Cathedral a small group of mostly Jewish counter-protesters gathered.

“Wouldn’t you be scared?” asked organiser Itai Galmundy.

He wants an end to the marches – “enough is enough,” he said.

He accepted some Jewish people were on the march but insisted they didn’t represent the majority.

“So many people who consider themselves liberal are marching here and chanting ‘from the river to the sea’. Where does it leave us – the Jews, the Israelis that already live there?”

Many interpret the chant, commonly used by the protesters, as an antisemitic call to wipe out the Israeli state.

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Protesters during a pro-Palestine rally in Edinburgh organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Picture date: Saturday March 9, 2024.
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There was also a demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday. Pic: PA

Another counter-protester added: “It’s ironic that they are saying stop the genocide when they are calling for a genocide.

“You don’t see the hypocrisy in that? So, the hypocrisy needs to stop.”

The counter-protest was kept 30 metres from the main march behind barriers and heavy police watch, but it was peaceful.

In a separate incident, an Iranian pro-Israeli protester got up alongside the march holding a banner which said: “Hamas is terrorist”.

Videos showed someone on the march pulling at him and a scuffle ensuing. Police intervened and pulled the counter-protester away.

Some filming the officers interpreted it as the police arresting the man for his banner – and this message quickly proliferated across social media, but in some of the footage it became clear the officers were trying to keep the peace and the man was later de-arrested with the Met releasing a statement to clarify what happened.

It was just a snapshot of the claims and counter claims in the war of words. The real horror of the conflict is so far away, and yet, for many it feels so close to home. The government will struggle to temper the strength of feeling on both sides, but many on the march accused them of inflaming it.

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Peter Sullivan who has spent 38 years in jail for murder has conviction quashed

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Peter Sullivan who has spent 38 years in jail for murder has conviction quashed

A man who has spent 38 years in prison for murder has had his conviction quashed – but insisted he is “not angry” or “bitter”.

The Court of Appeal ruling in the case of Peter Sullivan ends what’s thought to be the longest-running miscarriage of justice in British history.

He was found guilty of the 1986 murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall, who had been beaten, raped and left in an alleyway in Bebington, Merseyside.

Diane Sindall. Pic: Merseyside Police/PA Wire
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Diane Sindall was murdered in 1986. Pic: Merseyside Police/PA Wire

Mr Sullivan – who was jailed in 1987 – had always maintained his innocence and first tried to challenge his conviction in 2016, but the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) declined to refer the case, and he lost his own appeal bid in 2019.

Two years later, he again asked the CCRC to refer his case and new tests, ordered by the commission, revealed Mr Sullivan’s DNA was not present on samples preserved at the time.

At a hearing on Tuesday, lawyers for Mr Sullivan told the Court of Appeal in London that the new evidence showed that Ms Sindall’s killer “was not the defendant”.

Mr Sullivan attended the hearing via video link from HMP Wakefield, listening to his conviction being quashed with his head down and arms folded before appearing to weep and putting his hand to his mouth.

A relative in court also wept as the judgment was read out.

‘The truth shall set you free’

In a statement following the ruling, Mr Sullivan – now 68 – said: “I lost my liberty four decades ago over a crime I did not commit.

“What happened to me was very wrong, but does not detract that what happened… was a heinous and most terrible loss of life.”

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Peter Sullivan case explained

He added: “It is said the truth shall set you free. It is unfortunate that it does not give a timescale as we advance towards resolving the wrongs done to me.

“I am not angry, I am not bitter.

“I am simply anxious to return to my loved ones and family as I’ve got to make the most of what is left of the existence I am granted in this world.”

Outside court, Mr Sullivan’s sister Kim Smith said she was “ecstatic” at seeing her brother’s conviction quashed.

She told reporters: “We lost Peter for 39 years and at the end of the day, it’s not just us; Peter hasn’t won, and neither has the Sindall family. They’ve lost their daughter, they are not going to get her back.

“We’ve got Peter back and now we’ve got to try and build a life around him again. We feel sorry for the Sindalls and it’s such a shame this has had to happen in the first place.”

Mr Sullivan's sister, Kim Smith, said she was "ecstatic" about her brother's conviction being quashed. Pic: PA
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Mr Sullivan’s sister Kim Smith said she was ‘ecstatic’ after the ruling. Pic: PA

Barristers for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the DNA evidence was “sufficient fundamentally to cast doubt on the safety of the conviction” and that there was “no credible basis on which the appeal can be opposed”.

Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Bryan, said in light of the new DNA evidence “it is impossible to regard the appellant’s conviction as safe” as he quashed the conviction.

Hunt for DNA match

Merseyside Police has confirmed detectives are now “carrying out an extensive investigation in a bid to identify who the new DNA profile belongs to, as to date there is no match on the national DNA database”.

Detectives are also contacting individuals identified in the original investigation to request voluntary DNA samples.

That initial investigation was the largest in the force’s history and, for many officers, the “frenzied” nature of the attack made it the worst case they had ever encountered.

Ms Sindall, who was engaged to be married, had just left her shift as a part-time barmaid at a pub in Bebington when her small blue van ran out of petrol.

Diane Sindall
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Diane Sindall was killed after finishing her shift as a barmaid

She was walking to an all-night garage when she was attacked.

Mr Sullivan, who was 29 at the time and described as a loner, initially denied the attack but later signed a confession.

Questions have since been raised about whether he had proper legal representation during police interviews. Evidence related to bite marks on Ms Sindall’s body, considered crucial at the trial, has also since been called into question.

At the time of Mr Sullivan’s trial in 1987, DNA technology was not available and subsequent requests for new tests had been refused.

‘Nobody felt safe’

On the grass verge close to where Ms Sindall’s body was found, a memorial stone has been placed in memory of her and “and all of our sisters who have been raped and murdered”.

Her murder sent a chill through the community and led to the creation of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre on Merseyside. “Nobody felt safe, it was a very scary time,” said the centre’s Jo Wood.

A memorial to Diane Sindall
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A memorial to Ms Sindall on a grass verge near where her body was found

She says the uncertainty has resurfaced. “There’s someone out who killed Diane Sindall,” said solicitor Ms Myatt.

“The biggest fear we’ve got is of the unknown and now we’ve got an unknown. We don’t know who it might be. Who knows who this person is? Are we going to encounter him?

“We might have encountered him, we don’t know, we just know that he’s out there.”

Ms Sindall’s family told Sky News they did not want to comment on the case.

Mel John, landlord of the pub where Ms Sindall worked on the night of her death, said: “I’m glad he’s being released if he’s innocent. It has been a long time.”

Mr Sullivan is also aware, his solicitor says, of the impact on Ms Sindall’s family.

“We are very sensitive and respectful to the fact that there is a victim, Diane Sindall and her family, that will be affected by this process,” the solicitor said.

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Tory MP Patrick Spencer charged with sexual assaults at Groucho Club

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Tory MP Patrick Spencer charged with sexual assaults at Groucho Club

Tory MP Patrick Spencer has been charged with two counts of sexual assault at London’s Groucho Club.

The charges follow two alleged incidents involving two different women at the private members’ club, in Soho, in August 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

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Mr Spencer – who is the Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich – will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday 16 June.

A Conservative Party spokesman said Mr Spencer, 37, has been suspended by the Tories and had the whip withdrawn.

The Groucho Club in Soho, London. Pic: PA
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The Groucho Club in Soho, London. Pic: PA

The Metropolitan Police said he was charged after attending a voluntary interview at a London police station on 13 March this year.

Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS special crime and counter terrorism division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service, we have authorised two counts of sexual assault against Patrick Spencer MP.

“The charges follow two alleged incidents involving two separate women at the Groucho Club in central London in August 2023.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Mr Spencer was first elected to Parliament last year with a majority of 4,290.

It is understood he was asked not to attend the parliamentary estate by the Tory chief whip while police enquiries were ongoing.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The Conservative Party believes in integrity and high standards. We have taken immediate action.

“Patrick Spencer MP has been suspended from the Conservative Party, and the whip withdrawn, with immediate effect.

“The Conservative Party cannot comment further on an ongoing legal case.”

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The Groucho Club, in Dean Street, opened in 1985 and became a renowned meeting place for A-list celebrities and others, including actors, comedians and media executives.

The club was named after the comedian and actor Groucho Marx, who reportedly once said he would refuse to join any club that would have him as a member.

It was originally set up as a more relaxed alternative to traditional gentlemen’s clubs, according to the venue’s website, which adds that members should be in the creative industry “and share the club’s maverick spirit”.

Before becoming an MP, Mr Spencer worked in finance for private equity firm IPGL, a company chaired by his father, former Conservative Party treasurer Lord Michael Spencer.

He later took a job at the Centre for Social Justice think thank before becoming a senior adviser at the Department for Education.

He made his maiden speech in the Commons in July last year during a debate on the MPs’ code of conduct relating to second jobs, during which he said the “most important thing to the people across my constituency” was “restoring a sense of moral probity and public spiritedness to our political system”.

Sky News has contacted Mr Spencer for comment.

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Man arrested over arson attacks after fire at Sir Keir Starmer’s house

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Man arrested over arson attacks after fire at Sir Keir Starmer's house

A 21-year-old man has been arrested over a series of arson attacks, police have said, after a fire at a house owned by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The suspect was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, according to the Metropolitan Police.

He remains in custody.

Emergency services were called to fires at the doors of two homes in north London within 24 hours of each other – one just after 1.35am on Monday in Kentish Town and the other on Sunday in Islington. Both properties are linked to Sir Keir.

Sir Keir Starmer house
Metropolitan Police
Fire Pic: LNP
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Police are investigating links to several fires, which they are treating as suspicious. Pic: LNP

Detectives were also checking a vehicle fire last Thursday on the same street as the Kentish Town property to see whether it is connected.

Part of the area was cordoned off as police and London Fire Brigade (LFB) investigators examined the scene.

Neighbours described hearing a loud bang and said police officers were looking for a projectile.

A police officer is seen in Kentish Town, north London. Police are investigating a fire at Sir Keir Starmer's house in north London. Picture date: Monday May 12, 2025.
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Emergency services were deployed to the scene in Kentish Town, north London, on Monday. Pic: PA

A forensics officer is seen in Kentish Town, north London. Police are investigating a fire at Sir Keir Starmer's house in north London. Picture date: Monday May 12, 2025.
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Pic: PA

The prime minister is understood to still own the home, which was damaged by fire on Monday, but nobody was hurt. Pictures showed scorching at the entrance to the property.

Sir Keir used to live there before he and his family moved into 10 Downing Street after Labour won last year’s general election. It is believed the property is being rented out.

In the early hours of Sunday, firefighters dealt with a small fire at the front door of a house converted into flats in nearby Islington, which is also linked to the prime minister.

Sir Keir Starmer house
Metropolitan Police
Fire Pic: LNP
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Counter-terror police are leading the investigation. Pic: LNP

In a statement, police said: “As a precaution and due to the property having previous connections with a high-profile public figure, officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are leading the investigation into this fire.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish what caused it. All three fires are being treated as suspicious at this time, and enquiries remain ongoing.”

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The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “I can only say that the prime minister thanks the emergency services for their work and it is subject to a live investigation. So I can’t comment any further.”

Kemi Badenoch has condemned the suspected arson attacks.

Writing on X, the Conservative leader said: “This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with the prime minister and his family. No one should face these sorts of threats, let alone people in public service.

“It’s an attack on our democracy and must never be tolerated.”

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News on Tuesday: “It’s important that the prime minister and anyone in public life has their family, their homes, protected.

“It is absolutely wrong, disgraceful, for any individual to take the kind of action that we saw against the prime minister’s home.”

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