Suella Braverman has encouraged police chiefs to use stop and search powers more often to “seize dangerous weapons and prevent more knife crime attacks”.
The home secretary’s letter to 43 chief constables does not have any direct impact on how officers act, as the police are operationally independent of government.
But the latest intervention shows the Home Office wants to see an increase in officers using the controversial powers.
Government statistics suggest black people are seven times more like to be stopped and searched compared with white people.
And campaign groups have previously warned that relaxing restrictions on police use of the power could compound discrimination.
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‘First priority must be on prevention and public safety’
But Ms Braverman is “giving her full backing” to the policing method – with the Home Office highlighting in the 12 months to March 2022, 99 young people died due to knife crime, and 31 of those victims were black.
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A Home Office spokesman says this shows “black males are, therefore, disproportionately more likely to be killed by violence and knife crime”.
“Though the government recognises black males are more likely to be stopped and searched, our first priority must be on prevention and public safety.”
Almost 50,000 weapons have been seized during stop and searches since 2019 according to the Home Office, leading to more than 220,000 arrests.
Ms Braverman also wants officers to “arrest and investigate” in instances where someone “unlawfully” obstructs officers stopping and searching a person.
The home secretary is also calling for the body worn camera footage recorded by constables to be released faster as she hopes “by telling the whole story quickly, innocent police officers will not be subject to trial by social media over their actions”.
Ms Braverman said: “Carrying weapons is a scourge on our society. And anyone doing so is risking their own lives as well as the lives of those around them. This dangerous culture must be brought to a stop.
“My first priority is to keep the public safe and people who insist on carrying a weapon must know that there will be consequences.”
She added: “The police have my full support to ramp up the use of stop and search, wherever necessary, to prevent violence and save more lives.
“Every death from knife crime is a tragedy. That’s why I also back the police in tackling this blight in communities which are disproportionately affected, such as among young black males. We need to do everything in our power to crack down on this violence.”
The home secretary also updated the safeguards being put in place when it comes to stop and search to “strengthen trust between the police and local communities”.
The government therefore says it intends to make it a legal requirement for police to “communicate” when they are putting Section 60 orders in place, which make it easier to stop and search in specific areas, with exceptions if it would “hinder a sensitive situation to do so”.
And data on every interaction must be collected, passed to the Home Office, and published.
Braverman ‘chasing headlines’, says Labour
Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper accused the home secretary of “chasing headlines” instead of tackling knife crime.
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April: Stop and search powers trialled
“Knife crime has shot up after 13 years of the Tories, with the biggest increases in the suburbs and counties, destroying lives and devastating families,” she said.
“Yet instead of a serious government plan to get knife crime back down, the home secretary is just writing the police more letters and chasing headlines.
“The decimation of neighbourhood policing, cuts to youth prevention work, lack of a proper serious violence strategy and lack of action on organised crime under the Tories has allowed knife crime to go up across all communities.”
Donald Trump has threatened sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on his first day in office.
The president-elect, who takes office on 20 January next year, said he would introduce a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico.
Posting on his Truth Social platform he also threatened an additional 10% tariff on goods from China on top of any he might impose as one of his first executive orders.
If implemented, the tariffs could raise prices for ordinary American consumers on everything from petrol to cars and agricultural products.
The US is the largest importer of goods worldwide and Mexico, China and Canada are its top three suppliers according to the country’s census data.
More than 83% of exports from Mexico went to the US in 2023 and 75% of Canadian exports go to the country.
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“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” Mr Trump said.
He also spoke against an influx of illegal immigrants heading into the country.
While migrant arrests reached a record high during President Joe Biden’s administration, illegal crossings fell dramatically this year as new border restrictions were introduced and Mexico stepped up enforcement.
Mr Trump added: “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power… and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
After issuing his tariff threat, Mr Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and they were said to have discussed trade and border security.
“It was a good discussion and they will stay in touch,” a Canadian source said.
Turning to China, the president-elect said he “had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail”.
“Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America,” he wrote.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said there would be losers on all sides if there is a trade war.
“China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature,” embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu posted on X. “No one will win a trade war or a tariff war.”
It is not clear if Mr Trump will actually go through with the threats.
He won the recent election in part due to voter frustration over inflation and high prices.
Mr Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary Scott Bessent – who if confirmed, would be one of a number of officials responsible for tariffs – has said previously that tariffs are a means of negotiation.
Conor McGregor has spoken out after losing a civil rape case as a feminist march was held in Dublin.
The MMA fighter was accused of raping Nikita Hand, who was awarded €248,603 (£206,000) in damages on Friday after a jury at Dublin’s High Court found McGregor assaulted her in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
Posting on social media, the 36-year-old said: “I know I made mistakes”.
It comes as hundreds of people in Dublin staged a demonstration in “utter solidarity” with Ms Hand.
Posting on X, McGregor said: “People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made mistakes. Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I should have shut the party down. I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me.
“As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath. I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision.
“I can’t go back and I will move forward. I am beyond grateful to my family, friends and supporters all over the world who have stayed by my side.
“That’s it. No more. Getting back to the gym- the fight game awaits!”
Speaking outside court after the decision, an emotional Ms Hand said the two-week-long civil case had been a “nightmare” but that “justice has been served”.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life,” she added.
In Dublin on Monday night, a march in support of Ms Hand was organised by the socialist feminist movement group Rosa to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Participants chanted “stand with Nikita” and “no more fear, no more shaming, we reject your victim blaming” as they carried signs and banners through the capital’s streets.
Ruth Coppinger, a councillor and general election candidate, and Natasha O’Brien, who became a public figure after a soldier received a suspended sentence for assaulting her, both spoke at the event.
Ms Coppinger said Ms Hand was “an incredibly brave woman” and that she was watching the event via a live stream.
Ms O’Brien was cheered as she said she’d been “in awe” of Ms Hand’s courage and that Ireland had let out a collective “sigh of relief” after the jury found in Ms Hand’s favour.
McGregor was accused of having “brutally raped and battered” Ms Hand.
She was taken in an ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital the following day where the paramedic who assessed her told the court she had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time.
Following eight days of evidence, and three days of closing speeches and the judge’s instructions to the jury, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and ten minutes deliberating before returning their verdict.
Twelve British soldiers were injured in a major traffic pile-up in Estonia, close to the border with Russia, local media have reported.
Eight of the troops – part of a major NATO mission to deter Russian aggression – were airlifted back to the UK for hospital treatment on Sunday after the incident, which happened in snowy conditions on Friday, it is understood.
Five of these personnel have since been discharged with three still being kept in the military wing of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
The crash happened at an intersection at around 5pm on Friday when the troops were travelling in three minibuses back to their base at Tapa.
Two civilian cars, driven by Estonians, are thought to have collided, triggering a chain reaction, with four other vehicles – comprising the three army Toyota minibuses and a third civilian car – piling into each other.
According to local media reports, the cars that initially collided were a Volvo S80, driven by a 37-year-old woman and a BMW 530D, driven by a 62-year-old woman.
The Estonian Postimees news site reported that 12 British soldiers were injured as well as five civilians. They were all taken to hospital by ambulance.
The British troops are serving in Estonia as part of Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s “enhanced forward presence” mission, which spans nations across the alliance’s eastern flank and is designed to deter attacks from Russia.
Around 900 British troops are deployed in Estonia, including a unit of Challenger 2 tanks.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: “Several British soldiers deployed on Operation CABRIT in Estonia were injured in a road traffic incident last Friday, 22nd November.
“Following hospital treatment in Estonia, eight personnel were flown back to the UK on an RAF C-17 for further treatment.
“Five have since been discharged and three are being cared for at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. We wish them all a speedy recovery.”
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “Following the road traffic incident involving British personnel in Estonia, my thoughts are with all those affected, and I wish those injured a full, swift recovery.
“Thanks to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for their excellent care.”