Connect with us

Published

on

The chancellor has praised Tory MP William Wragg for offering a “courageous and fulsome” apology after admitting to The Times that he had shared MPs’ personal phone numbers with someone he met on a dating app.

Jeremy Hunt said the news had been a “great cause for concern”.

It comes as Scotland Yard confirmed it was in contact with Leicestershire Police and parliamentary security “following reporting of unsolicited messages to members of parliament”.

“We will assess any reports made to us accordingly,” the Metropolitan Police added.

Speaking to reporters in Guildford, Mr Hunt said: “The MP involved has given a courageous and fulsome apology, but the lesson here for all MPs is that they need to be very careful about cyber security – and indeed is the lesson for members of the public as well because this is something we are all having to face in our daily lives.”

Politics latest:
MPs ‘left in dark’ over Israel legal advice, claims Labour

It comes after Mr Wragg, the Conservative MP for Hazel Grove and a select committee chair, made the admission to The Times on Thursday evening.

He told the newspaper: “They had compromising things on me. They wouldn’t leave me alone.

“They would ask for people. I gave them some numbers, not all of them. I told him to stop. He’s manipulated me and now I’ve hurt other people.

“I got chatting to a guy on an app and we exchanged pictures. We were meant to meet up for drinks, but then didn’t.

“Then he started asking for numbers of people. I was worried because he had stuff on me. He gave me a WhatsApp number, which doesn’t work now. I’ve hurt people by being weak.

“I was scared. I’m mortified. I’m so sorry that my weakness has caused other people hurt.”

It has been reported this week that a serving minister, some MPs, party staffers and political journalists were among those who received unsolicited messages from two unknown WhatsApp users.

A Leicestershire Police spokesperson said they were investigating a report of malicious communications after a number of unsolicited messages were sent to a Leicestershire MP last month.

Mr Wragg, 36, who has previously announced he will stand down at the next election, also received support from fellow Conservative MP Mark Garnier, who said he had shown “maturity and common sense”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘I think William has come forward in a very dignified way’

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Mr Garnier told Sky News: “I think everybody would accept, including William, that he’s made a mistake, but I think William has come forward in a very dignified way to make a statement about this to The Times.

“It’s far better that somebody recognises their mistakes rather than tries to hide behind it.”

He said Mr Wragg, who is also the vice chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs, had shown “maturity and common sense” by “coming forward in order to try and help as best he probably can”.

He added: “I think William has been a bit of a clod, but the way he’s responded to this shows great dignity on his part, and I think we should support him.”

Asked whether such “honeytraps” were a common experience for MPs, Mr Garnier said they were.

Who is William Wragg?

William Wragg was first elected to parliament as the MP for Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, in 2015.

He took the seat from the Liberal Democrats and, in doing so, became the first Conservative MP to represent the constituency since 1997.

Since his election, he has risen up the ranks to take up the role of chair of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC), which examines constitutional issues and Civil Service matters.

Mr Wragg became one of Boris Johnson’s most vocal critics when he was prime minister, alleging that those who had opposed the former Tory leader had been subject to “intimidation” and “blackmail”. He also publicly demanded the resignation of Liz Truss following her disastrous mini-budget.

Mr Wragg has already announced he will stand down at the next election, having previously taken a break to recover from depression.

The Tory MP said he was “mortified” after admitting to The Times that he had shared the phone numbers of colleagues to someone he met on a dating app. “I’m so sorry that my weakness has caused other people hurt,” he said.

A subsequent report in The Times has said Mr Wragg will not have the party whip removed, meaning he can remain as a Tory MP in the Commons until the next election – unless he chooses to stand down before then in light of the scandal.

“We’re all warned… to be very careful of people being unusually friendly and the rest of it,” he said.

“It happens – but equally so we’ve got plenty of MPs who are single people who are perfectly entitled to relationships and you can find yourself being drawn into a relationship that turns out to be toxic.

“We’re all humans.”

But shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was “very concerned” that MPs’ telephone numbers had been passed on to “unknown sources”.

“In positions of responsibility, we always have to think about our actions,” the Labour MP said. “There are also malevolent players out there who are trying to influence politics in these benign ways.”

Asked whether Mr Wragg should resign, Ms Reeves replied: “That’s the question for the Conservatives. The police investigation is now under way, and it is right that we allow that investigation to take its course.”

Read more:
Former minister faces Tory investigation over Israel comments
Deadline forcing MP to name whistleblowing soldiers extended

Sky News understands that Mr Wragg will not lose the party whip over the matter, meaning he can remain in the Conservative parliamentary party.

Simon Hart, the chief whip, is also expected to speak to all parties in the coming days.

A parliamentary spokesperson said: “Parliament takes security extremely seriously and works closely with government in response to such incidents.

“We provide members and staff with tailored advice, making them aware of security risks and how to manage their digital safety. We are encouraging anyone affected who has concerns to contact the Parliamentary Security Department.”

Continue Reading

UK

Davina McCall says she has short-term memory problems after brain tumour surgery

Published

on

By

Davina McCall says she has short-term memory problems after brain tumour surgery

Davina McCall has said her short-term memory is “a bit remiss” as she recovers from brain tumour surgery.

Speaking from her bed, the visibly emotional TV presenter posted a short video updating her Instagram followers on her condition, saying it had been a “mad” time.

She expressed an “enormous heartfelt thank you” to people who had messaged her after she revealed this month she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.

Looking bright, but with a visibly bruised left eye, McCall said: “My short-term memory is a bit remiss.

“But that is something I can work on, so I’m really happy about that. I’m writing everything down, to keep myself feeling safe.”

She added: “It’s been mad, and it’s just really nice to be back home, I’m on the other side.”

In a message posted with the video, she reiterated her thanks for all the support she has received, adding: “Had a great night’s sleep in my own bed. Have a couple of sleeps during the day which keeps my brain clear… Slowly, slowly…”

When she first shared her diagnosis, she said chances of having it were “three in a million” and that she had discovered it several months previously after a company offered her a health scan in return for giving a menopause talk.

The 57-year-old star said support from her fans had “meant the world”.

She said she was being “brilliantly looked after” by her partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and her stepmother, Gabby, who she calls mum.

Becoming tearful, the presenter said: “I’d quickly like to say big up the stepmums. I don’t really say thank you to Gabby enough. She’s been an amazing rock my whole life.”

McCall was estranged from her birth mother, Florence McCall, who died in 2008.

Kate coming out of the Big Brother house in 2002
Image:
McCall with 2002 Big Brother winner Kate Lawler. Pic: Rex Features

With a catch in her voice, McCall went on: “I’ve got a massive dose of vitamin G – I’m just really grateful. I’ve always been really lucky in my life, but I feel unbelievably grateful right now. So, thanks for everything, all of you.

“I’m on the mend, I’m resting and sleeping loads and I feel really good. I’m just very lucky.”

Stars including presenter Alison Hammond, singer Craig David and radio host Zoe Ball quickly shared their delight at the positive update.

McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.

Davina McCall  with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Pic: PA
Image:
McCall with her MBE, alongside her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA

She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, the most recent being ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.

Last year, McCall was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.

Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.

She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and they present a weekly lifestyle podcast together, Making The Cut.

Continue Reading

UK

UK weather: How long will rainy and windy conditions last – and is another storm already on the way?

Published

on

By

UK weather: How long will rainy and windy conditions last - and is another storm already on the way?

Storm Bert continues to cause chaos in the UK, but just how long is heavy rain and wind expected to batter the country?

The Met Office says Storm Bert will start to “slowly pull away” from the UK on Monday, meaning an unsettled start to the day.

A yellow weather warning remains in place for northern parts of Scotland.

It warns of heavy downpours, especially over higher ground, where accumulations of 50-70mm are expected. The warning is in place until midnight.

Storm Bert latest: Follow live updates

In central Scotland, wind speeds of 50-60mph are likely, and gusts up to 70mph could be felt near the coast and on exposed bridges.

Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said that while the risk of snowfall had now diminished, rainfall would “affect much of the UK”.

Frequent showers are expected in Northern Ireland, northern England, Wales and the West Country, with the heaviest expected in southwestern parts of England and South Wales.

Mr Page said weather warnings “could still be amended” and possibly at short notice, and urged people to “keep up to date with the very latest forecast”.

Sky News meteorologist Christopher England warns there could be a risk of hail and thunder in northern Scotland, at the start of the week.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Storm Bert causes flooding in Wales

As of Monday morning, there were hundreds of flood warnings and alerts in place. Three of those – two in Wales and one in England – were “severe warnings”.

A further 160 flood warnings and more than 200 flood alerts were issued by the Environment Agency in England, and eight flood warnings and 23 flood alerts in place in Wales at the time of writing.

Bert to clear UK by Tuesday

By Tuesday, Storm Bert will finally clear the UK, the Met Office said, bringing with it “quieter weather for many”.

However, parts of the country may not be without rain or wind for long, as the forecaster says strong gusts and rainfall could start again on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Check the forecast in your area

“How long the more settled conditions last is uncertain, with rain probably returning to westernmost areas at least by the end of the week,” the Met Office website says.

Chris England adds: “Wednesday will bring strong winds and a spell of heavy rain across the south, while the north looks mostly fine after a frosty and foggy start in places.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Woman loses umbrella to Storm Bert

“Thursday looks cool again, but mostly fine. Friday will be milder, with outbreaks of rain likely over Ireland, Northern Ireland and north-west Scotland.”

He says going into the weekend, Saturday “looks cloudy and breezy in the north and west, with a little rain possible at times”.

When could the next named storm be?

Storm Bert was the second named storm of the season after Storm Ashley brought similar wet and windy conditions towards the end of October.

Although it cannot be known for sure when the next storm will be, the Met Office already knows it will be referred to as Storm Conall. The forecaster names storms in alphabetical order.

It says it only names a storm when it has the “potential to cause disruption or damage which could result in an amber or red warning” and according to its long range forecast, this could be as soon as next month.

It says that between 9 and 23 December, “there are signs” there will be wetter and windier interludes with a risk of snow, adding: “These conditions look more likely to dominate towards the middle of December.”

Whether this will be strong enough for a storm to be named remains unknown.

Continue Reading

UK

Microsoft ‘investigating issue’ after users report problems with Outlook and Teams

Published

on

By

Microsoft 'investigating issue' after users report problems with Outlook and Teams

Microsoft has said it is “investigating an issue” after users reported problems with Outlook and Teams.

In a post on X, Microsoft 365 Status said: “We’re investigating an issue impacting users attempting to access Exchange Online or functionality within Microsoft Teams calendar.”

Microsoft Exchange Online is a platform for business communication that has a mail server and cloud apps for email, contacts, and calendars.

Down Detector, a website that tracks outages, said problems started at approximately 8am on Monday morning.

It said 87% of reported problems involved Outlook, when the email application is accessed through the web.

Microsoft error message
Image:
Microsoft error message appearing on Outlook

Other reported problems, according to Down Detector, included connection to the server and logging in.

Users from the UK and around, Europe took to social media to report they were having problems accessing the platform.

One user wrote: “When you need to check an important mail, but #outlook decides to not work…”

Read more from Sky News:
UK in AI arms race with Russia
Google could be forced to sell its Chrome browser

While another added: “Here in Belgium mainly issues with tracking of e-mail in Dynamics 365. Inbound and outbound in Outlook still work.”

Microsoft directed affected users to its admin centre, a page that is intended for those who have access to business networks and other professionals who manage IT networks. The page requires a login.

Continue Reading

Trending