COVID inquiry: Bereaved relatives experiencing ‘anxiety’ and ‘unease’ over hiring of PR firms, preliminary hearing is told

Published

2 years ago

February 15, 2023

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Families who lost loved ones to COVID are experiencing “continuing anxiety” and “considerable unease” over two PR firms hired by the official public inquiry, a preliminary hearing has been told.

A report by the Open Democracy website said M&C Saatchi and 23Red had both worked for the government during the pandemic – with the latter said to have worked for the Cabinet Office – but were now working on a “listening project” for the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Pete Weatherby KC, representing the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, said it had raised fears about conflicts of interest.

Becky Kummer, a spokesperson for the group who lost her father in the pandemic, said the two firms “shouldn’t be anywhere near the COVID inquiry, never mind being responsible for how it reaches those worst affected by the pandemic”.

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A spokeswoman for the inquiry confirmed to Sky News that M&C Saatchi had been awarded the contract and that 23Red had been sub-contracted by the company “to provide the inquiry with expertise on working with external organisations to support public engagement and encourage people to share their experiences”.

But she insisted the contract was awarded “in line with Crown Commercial Service’s robust procurement regulations, ensuring transparency and value for money for the taxpayer”.

She added: “We were satisfied there are no conflicts of interest for the appointed suppliers which would affect the delivery of the listening exercise.”

Sky News understands M&C Saatchi did not work on the government’s public health response to the pandemic, but on other campaigns over that period, including on obesity, smoking and cancer.

However, the Cabinet Office confirmed that 23Red did work with them on marketing projects during COVID.

We also understand all bidders for the contract were required to declare any potential conflicts of interest and required to show they had suitable safeguards to mitigate any risk of conflict of interest.

‘Acute concerns’

Speaking at this morning’s preliminary hearing for the inquiry, Mr Weatherby spoke about the inquiry’s “listening project” to gather the experiences of people impacted by the pandemic in a less formal setting.

He said it would be “be extremely difficult for bereaved families and [so it is] extremely important if it works and what is needed is clarity and certainty”.

But the lawyer said there was “continuing anxiety regarding the companies involved… and it is well known these are matters of acute concerns to the families”.

Mr Weatherby said he was not commenting on whether the reports in Open Democracy were correct or whether there was an actual conflict of interest.

But he said there was “considerable unease about this”, adding: “The consequences of not taking a robust and transparent approach to these issues are really quite simple – less families will be prepared to engage and the whole exercise will have less utility and less credibility.”

Mr Weatherby said he and the families wanted “a clear indication from the inquiry as to it using companies which have undertaken what might reasonably be perceived to be a conflict of interest”, and for contracted firms “to make a public statement concerning any work they have done that could be perceived to be in conflict”.

‘Modest delay’

During this morning’s hearing, the lead KC on the inquiry, Hugo Keith, also asked for a “modest delay” to the start of the public hearings because of the amount of documents that needed to be gone through.

He said “literally thousands of manual redactions” were having to be made to government policy documents and emails relating to the UK’s preparedness for a pandemic as junior officials names need to be taken off – then be checked again by the relevant departments.

He called for a provisional start date of May to early June.

Mr Wetherby, along with other representatives of bereaved families around the UK and the Trades Union Congress, agreed to the new timetable, with the KC saying there was “no alternative” with disclosure “very much in the foothills”.

But he called for the process to be changed so the parties involved could immediate access to the evidence, rather than waiting for the disclosure.

UK

‘Wonderful’ British man, 31, killed in New Orleans attack is named

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2025

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'Wonderful' British man, 31, killed in New Orleans attack is named

A 31-year-old British man is one of 14 people who were killed when an alleged Islamic State supporter drove a truck into crowds celebrating the New Year in New Orleans.

Edward Pettifer, from Chelsea, west London was killed in the attack, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.

His family said it was “devastated” by his death.

“He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many,” the family said in a statement.

“We will all miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack. We request that we can grieve the loss of Ed as a family in private.”

New Orleans’ coroner said the preliminary cause of death for Mr Pettifer was blunt force injuries.

Dozens of people were injured when 42-year-old army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar‘s rented truck rammed into people in New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the attack was “premeditated” and an “evil” act of terrorism, and added Jabbar was “100% inspired by ISIS”, also known as Islamic State.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Sky News: “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in New Orleans and are in contact with local authorities.”

The coroner has also identified the majority of the victims in the attack.

They are:

Andrew Dauphin, 26, from Montgomery, Alabama
Kareem Badawi, 23, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Brandon Taylor, 43, from Harvey, Louisiana
Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, from Gretna, Louisiana
Matthew Tenedorio, 25, from Picayune, Mississippi
Ni’Kyra Dedeaux, 18, from Gulfport, Mississippi
Nicole Perez, 27, from Metairie, Louisiana
Reggie Hunter, 37, from Prairieville, Louisiana
Martin Bech, 27, from New York City, New York
Terrence Kennedy, 63, from New Orleans, Louisiana
Elliot Wilkinson, 40, from Slidell, Louisiana
William DiMaio, 25, from Holmdel, New Jersey

The identity of one other victim is unknown, with efforts to identity the female continuing.

The preliminary cause of death for all the victims is blunt force injuries, according to the New Orleans coroner.

The FBI has also revealed that before his attack, Jabbar set fire to a house he had rented in an effort to destroy evidence.

He had placed accelerants throughout the house in his effort to destroy it, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms.

But the fire, which was started in the hallway, had extinguished itself before spreading to other rooms.

Bomb-making materials were found both at the rented accommodation in New Orleans and Jabbar’s home in Houston, Texas. A home-made device suspected of being a rifle silencer was also found in the New Orleans home.

Federal authorities also revealed on Friday that Jabbar had reserved the vehicle used in the deadly attack more than six weeks earlier.

The FBI has said 35 people were injured in the attack, but it expects this number to rise in the coming days as more people go to hospital or contact the bureau.

The University Medical Centre New Orleans said it treated 30 patients who were injured in the attack. Some 13 remain in the hospital’s care, including eight in the intensive care unit.

Meanwhile, federal investigators say Jabbar used a very rare explosive compound in the two functional improvised explosive devices (IEDs) placed by him before the attack, according to Sky’s US partner network NBC News.

The explosive has never been used in any US or European terror attack, officials said. Authorities are now investigating how Jabbar knew how to make this homemade explosive, and why the IEDs did not go off.

UK

Nigel Farage rejects Tommy Robinson after support from Elon Musk

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2025

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Nigel Farage rejects Tommy Robinson after support from Elon Musk

Nigel Farage has said Tommy Robinson “won’t be” joining Reform UK after Elon Musk showed support for the jailed far-right activist on social media.

The billionaire owner of X, who has spoken positively about Reform UK and is reportedly considering making a donation to the party, has been critical of the government’s handling of child sexual exploitation across a number of towns and cities more than a decade ago.

While the Reform UK leader described the billionaire owner of X as “an absolute hero figure, particularly to young people in this country”, he distanced himself and his party from Robinson, who is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

Mr Musk endorsed the far-right activist and claimed Robinson was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.

Speaking to broadcasters ahead of the start of Reform UK’s East Midlands Conference tonight, party leader Mr Farage did not directly address Mr Musk’s comments, but said: “He has a whole range of opinions, some of which I agree with very strongly, and others of which I’m more reticent about.”

He went on to say that having Mr Musk’s support is “very helpful to our cause”, describing him as “an absolute hero figure, particularly to young people in this country”.

He continued: “Everyone says, well, what about his comments on Tommy Robinson? Look, my position is perfectly clear on that. I never wanted Tommy Robinson to join UKIP, I don’t want him to join Reform UK, and he won’t be.”

Later on GB News, Mr Farage added that Mr Musk “sees Robinson as one of these people that fought against the grooming gangs”.

“But of course the truth is Tommy Robinson’s in prison not for that, but for contempt of court,” he said.

Mr Farage added: “We’re a political party aiming to win the next general election. He’s not what we need.”

How did Elon Musk become involved?

The online campaign from Mr Musk began after it emerged that Home Office minister Jess Phillips had denied requests from Oldham Council to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the borough, as the Conservatives had done in 2022.

In a letter to the authority in Greater Manchester, Ms Phillips said she believes it is “for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the government to intervene”.

An Oldham Council spokesman previously said: “Survivors sit at the heart of our work to end child sexual exploitation. Whatever happens in terms of future inquiries, we have promised them that their wishes will be paramount, and we will not renege on that pledge.”

Mr Musk posted on X multiple times about the scandal, and claimed Sir Keir Starmer had failed to bring “rape gangs” to justice when he led the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In 2013, Sir Keir introduced new guidelines for how child sexual abuse victims should be treated and how a case should be built and presented in court.

The SpaceX and Tesla boss also endorsed posts about Robinson.

Robinson, who is 42 years old and whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, admitted at Woolwich Crown Court in October to breaching an injunction banning him from repeating libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee schoolboy, after he was successfully sued for libel in 2021.

UK

Calls for more research into flat head syndrome in babies and whether helmet therapy works

Published

8 hours ago

January 4, 2025

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Calls for more research into flat head syndrome in babies and whether helmet therapy works

A specialist team in Bristol says more research is needed into flat head syndrome, a condition which is thought to affect up to 40% of babies.

Southmead Hospital runs the only NHS clinic offering helmet therapy for infants with flattened heads.

The advice to lie babies on their backs to prevent cot deaths is one of the most successful public health interventions, but can cause babies to develop a flat head.

Most cases are mild and self-correct over time, but babies with moderate to severe cases can be referred to experts in Bristol for cosmetic treatment.

The reconstructive science team takes photos of babies’ heads which are run through 3D software, to help create bespoke helmets with a 3D printer.

Babies usually from the age of six months are advised to wear the helmets for 23 hours a day.

The helmet corrects the condition by relieving pressure on the flat side.

It is a unique clinic; the only NHS trust in the country offering helmet therapy for babies with flat heads, known as plagiocephaly or brachycephaly.

Elsewhere, parents have to go privately, and at a cost of £2,500, it can be prohibitively expensive.

‘There’s not a lot of information out there’

We met mum Becky Darby and her one-year-old son Leo at the Bristol clinic.

Becky says she became worried about the shape of his head when he was four months old. “One side of his head was flat and the rest was perfectly round, but where he was constantly lying on it, it was getting flatter,” she said.

Becky was frustrated by the lack of guidance.

“I didn’t know what I was doing, and there’s not a lot of information out there,” she said.

Leo has been wearing his helmet for five months, and his progress is regularly monitored.

Disputed evidence

Data around flat head syndrome is scarce, and scientists at the clinic are carrying out research to investigate further.

The NHS has said the evidence that the helmets work is “not clear”, and that they can cause other problems like skin irritation and rashes.

“These helmets and headbands generally are not recommended,” according to the NHS.

Senior reconstructive scientist Amy Davey wants to increase awareness and is creating a tool to assess babies, which will help find the “right treatment pathway” for infants.

“There certainly needs to be more research into providing understanding behind when and where we can go and help with helmet therapy, and where there are alternatives,” she said.

Clinicians agree that more research is needed but warn parents should not be put off lying sleeping babies on their backs.

Parents still advised to lie babies on their backs

Dr Joanna Garstang is a community paediatrician and adviser for the cot death charity the Lullaby Trust.

She told us that while flat head syndrome is common, “in nearly all cases it just resolves spontaneously as the baby grows and begins to sit up and crawl”.

Lying babies on their backs is a public health success story, reducing the number of sudden infant deaths by 90% since the late 1980s.

“Even if parents are worried about flat head, putting the baby on the back to sleep is by far the safest way for the baby to sleep. If they’re worried about flat head they should talk to their GP or health visitor,” Dr Garstang said.

Becky Darby says choosing helmet therapy is “the best decision” that she took.

As for Leo, his helmet is working and should be off soon.