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Chuka Umunna withdraws from Labour Party leadership contest over scrutiny pressure

Friday, 15 May 2015 00:00 Written by

 

STREATHAM Member of Parliament and shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has dramatically reversed his decision to run for the Labour Party leadership opting to pull out of the race saying he cannot cope with the pressure of the scrutiny. 

Earlier this week, Mr Umunna, 36, threw his hat into the ring in the fight to succeed Ed Miliband as Labour leader after opinion polls showed him as the leading contender. However, this morning, he dramatically announced his decision to quit the race, saying he was not comfortable with the attention on his private life. 

His remarks immediately triggered speculation that a weekend newspaper is preparing an expose on Mr Umunna and his private life. However, his aides insisted his withdrawal was not due to any negative story which he expects to appear in the media and he has not been subject to any significant hostile coverage in recent days. 

Mr Umunna said: "As a member of the shadow cabinet, I am used to a level of attention which is part and parcel of the job. I witnessed the 2010 leadership election process close up and thought I would be comfortable with what it involved. 

 "However since the night of our defeat last week I have been subject to the added level of pressure that comes with being a leadership candidate but I have not found it to be a comfortable experience. Consequently after further reflection I am withdrawing my candidacy and I apologise to all those who have kindly supported and encouraged me to do this and for disappointing them. 

Last week, Mr Umunna appeared in public with his girlfriend, Alice Sullivan, an employment lawyer for the first time ahead of his appearance on the Andrew Marr Show last Sunday, prompting speculation that he would run. His team were confident that he would secure the 35 nominations from fellow MPs required to mount a leadership bid. 

Following his withdrawal, Mr Umunna is not at this stage endorsing any other candidate for the leadership. His abrupt withdrawal with infuriate MPs who had promised him their support and will deepens the crisis in the Labour Party, following a devastating election defeat a week ago and the withdrawal of another front-runner, former soldier Dan Jarvis. 

Mr Umunna's withdrawal is a significant setback for the Blairite faction in the Labour party who want a return to pro-market, pro-aspiration values of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. With Mr Umunna withdrawing from the race, the contest is now expected to be a straight fight between former cabinet ministers Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper. 

Ben Bradshaw, the Blairite former culture secretary who is preparing to run for deputy leader, urged Mr Umunna to reconsider adding that his withdrawal was a terrible loss. Mr Umunna is a former nightclub DJ, who was supported by Ed Miliband after admitting in 2012 that he smoked soft drugs as a teenager growing up in Brixton. 

Mr Umunna added: "I intend to carry on playing my full role as a proud member of our shadow cabinet taking on the Tories and I also hope to play a leading role in Labour's campaign to keep the UK in the European Union during the forthcoming referendum which is absolutely crucial. Most importantly, I will as ever continue to serve the area I know and love - the Streatham parliamentary constituency."


 

British Man Confesses on Facebook After Murdering Daughter,Wife And Sister

Wednesday, 13 May 2015 00:00 Written by

A British man, Randy Janzen took to Facebook to confess after murdering his daughter, wife and sister before taking his own life.    

Reporting on the Facebook post, NBC News said Janzen wrote; ''Over the last 10 days I have done some of the worst things I could have ever imagined a person doing''.

''I just could not see my little girl hurt for one more second. I took a gun and shot her in the head and now she is migraine free and floating in the clouds on a sunny afternoon, her long beautiful brown hair flowing in the breeze, a true angel."

The post goes on to say that he then shot his wife, Laurel, because a mother should never have to "hear the news her baby has died." A couple days after killing his wife, Janzen allegedly killed his sister, Shelly, "because I did not want her to have to live with this shame."

"Now my family is pain free and in heaven. Rest in peace my little family, Love Daddio xoxo."

Shocking moment autistic girl kicked off flight for 'making pilot feel uncomfortable' filmed by passenger

Monday, 11 May 2015 00:00 Written by

 

The only explanation police offered the family of 15-year-old Juliette Forbes was that the pilot did not feel comfortable flying while she was on board 

 

A furious family are seeking legal action after being kicked off a plane because the pilot refused to fly with their autistic daughter on board.

Fuming mum Dr Donna Beegle said she will be filing a discrimination lawsuit after being taken off the plane with 15-year-old Juliette, her brother and father following an emergency landing.

When Juliette refused to eat her packed lunch, the family asked for something from the first-class menu to calm her down.

 

Dr Beegle said the food would stop her mood getting out of control and prevent her lashing out at someone.

Juliette relaxed as soon as she had eaten and soon began watching films in her window seat on the United Airlines flight from Texas to their home in Oregon, US, Dr Beegle claimed.

Still, when the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Utah just 30 minutes later, police arrived to remove the family from the flight.

 

The only explanation police offered was that the captain did not feel comfortable flying the plane with Juliette board, according to KOIN.

Dr Beegle said that she has travelled around the world with her daughter and not experienced any problems before.

She said that a "fear of autism" lay behind the treatment of her family, who are from Oregon.

 

A YouTube video filmed by another passenger, which you can see below, shows the plane on the ground in Utah, with Juliette and her family looking calm in their seats.

One witness to the incident said: "That's ridiculous. That's gonna be a lawsuit."

Dr Beegle said she will be filing a discrimination lawsuit and it is reported that she has lodged official complaints with Federal Aviation Authority and United.

 

She said she wanted to promote understanding of autism and ensure that all airline employees have the right training to help them work with passengers who have the condition.

A spokesperson for the airline said: "After working to accommodate Dr Beegle and her daughter during the flight, the crew made the best decision for the safety and comfort of all of our customers and elected to divert to Salt Lake City after the situation became disruptive.

"We rebooked the customers on a different carrier and the flight continued to Portland."


Doting husband so focused on ensuring sick wife beat cancer he didn't realise same disease was killing him

Monday, 11 May 2015 00:00 Written by

The caring 57-year-old only discovered he himself was gravely ill when his bile duct cancer had become terminal, just weeks ago - and now he's passed away

   
CASCADE NEWS
Tragic: A loving husband has passed away of cancer after caring for his wife with the same disease

A doting husband was so focused on ensuring his sick wife beat cancer that he didn’t realise the very same disease was killing him.

The caring 57-year-old Robert O’Brien only discovered he himself was gravely ill when his bile duct cancer had become terminal, just weeks ago.

The dad-of-two put his own health on the back burner, his devastated wife Philippa said, to make sure she was completely cared for.

But while the 51-year-old’s condition is getting better, Robert died on Sunday morning, his distraught family announced.

Last night, his daughters said: "It is with a heavy heart that we must tell you all, that our dad lost his battle with cancer this morning and died in the arms of his wife and daughters.

 

CASCADE NEWS Robert O'Brien nursed his wife back to health after she suffered aggressive cancer but didn't realise he was dying of cancer - now he has just weeks to live
Close Family: Robert O'Brien nursed his wife back to health after she suffered aggressive cancer but didn't realise he was dying of cancer

 

"Our dad was a great man and knowing he was so loved, carries us through."

 

The keen fisherman took control when Philippa became seriously ill, suffering from a rare sarcoma cancer in the tissue and muscle of her hip and back of her thigh.

At the time, he was experiencing chest pains, but despite regular trips to the doctor, they never sent the Liverpool FC fan for proper check ups.

Heartbroken Philippa, a former personal assistant, said: “He was so concerned about me.

"He was doing everything for me, absolutely everything.”

 

CASCADE NEWS Robert O'Brien nursed his wife back to health after she suffered aggressive cancer but didn't realise he was dying of cancer - now he has just weeks to live
Sad Loss: The caring 57-year-old only discovered he himself was gravely ill when his bile duct cancer had become terminal, just weeks ago

 

Buoyed by her husband’s support, she battled through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a gruelling operation to clear the cancer.

But the family’s joy was short-lived when, weeks later, they were floored by the news Robert had the disease - and that it had spread throughout his body.

 

Philippa said if her husband, from Preston, Lancs, had not been so focused on nursing her back to health, he would have ensured GPs diagnosed his complaints.

She said: “I couldn’t get out of bed sometimes because I was so poorly.

“Robert was feeding me, making sure I had my medication, doing everything in the house.

“He was definitely putting it to the back of his mind, because he was so concerned about me, making me feeling comfortable and helping me getting better.”

 

Daughter Emma, 28, a mental health nurse, said her dad had been planning a final romantic gesture on a bucket list of aims before his death.

He wanted to visit the city park where he proposed and his children, Emma and Lauren, 36, talked of buying him a ring so he could once again pop the question.

 

CASCADE NEWS Robert O'Brien nursed his wife back to health after she suffered aggressive cancer but didn't realise he was dying of cancer - now he has just weeks to live
Loving Couple: The dad-of-two put his own health on the back burner, his devastated wife Philippa said, to make sure she was completely cared for

'Pure evil' Bedroom Tax will hit one million more people as Tories launch 100-day welfare blitz

Monday, 11 May 2015 00:00 Written by

 

David Cameron will hit society's most vulnerable the hardest as he finally begins to identify his £12billion of welfare cuts

PA David Cameron and his wife Samantha
Free housing: David Cameron doesn't have to pay for publicly owned Downing Street but benefits claimants are not so lucky
 

David Cameron stood in Downing Street to announce: “We are on the brink of something special.”

The PM is right. We are on the brink something specially unpleasant for Bedroom Tax victims and anyone ­dependent on welfare payments to live.

Former Labour London Mayor Ken Livingstone calls this special something “five more years of pure evil”.

Without the Lib Dems or a hung Parliament to constrain the Tories, they can now let rip against the poorest and most vulnerable.

Throughout the six-week election ­campaign Mr Cameron – branded the Sheriff of Nottingham by TV star Paul O’Grady over the hated Bedroom Tax – boasted of making £12billion of welfare cuts but would not reveal where the axe will fall.

 

Getty Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith arrives in Downing Street on November 19, 2014 in London, England
More cuts: Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith

 

To put that astronomical figure into perspective, it’s the equivalent of a burglar nicking £545 from every household in the land.

The Tories will be able to claw back £250million a year in housing benefit until 2020 by making a million more families pay the Bedroom Tax.

The number will rise 220,000 a year with victims paying an average £3,800 over the five-year term of this government.

And a report last week said the Bedroom Tax may even rise above the present average of £14 a week for one extra bedroom and £25 for two.

It is claimed that discussions in the Department of Work and Pensions took place last year in which massive cuts were proposed.

They also included a benefit payments freeze, limiting payments to family size and even the abolition of statutory maternity pay.

 

Ragout Sunday People
Killer policy: How the People reported Stephanie Bottrill's suicide

 

Banning under-25s from claiming any housing or ­incapacity benefit was also considered.

Top Tories are talking about the PM launching a 100-day policy blitz while Labour is still too stunned by defeat to mount effective opposition.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has already cut the financial help ­available to Bedroom Tax victims by 24%.

Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities which provide a lifeline to hardship cases were slashed from £165million to £125million last month.

Had Labour leader Ed Miliband won the General Election on Thursday, the Sunday People would have spent Friday inside the DWP.

And we would have witnessed shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves sign the paperwork which would have scrapped the Bedroom Tax.

 

Victim Julia Jones, 62, said: “Many tenants hit by this tax are feeling sick and in despair.

“Victory for a Labour party which would abolish the Bedroom Tax was their last hope. We now have to pick ourselves up, regroup, and fight on.”

The battle is too late for Stephanie Bottrill, 53, who was so stressed by a Bedroom Tax demand she killed herself.

But for as long as it takes, the Sunday People will be beside Julia battling this monstrous injustice.

The Tories will look after the better off by raising the higher-rate threshold at which 40% income tax becomes payable to £50,000.

And they will scrap the top 45p rate for the highest earners and lift the ceiling to £1million before inheritance tax is payable by married couples.

 

Stop The Bedroom Tax logo

 

Mr Cameron has also promised an extra £8billion for the NHS but not said how he will pay for it. As he has ruled out tax rises, that can only come from cuts elsewhere.

 

That could mean fewer police and fire fighters and means-testing child benefit.

A squeeze on the BBC when its charter comes up for renewal next year could see some channels funded by subscription.

And giving 1.3 million housing association tenants the right to buy their homes may spark a new housing crisis.

Animal rights groups will be outraged by a free vote for MPs so the Tories can overturn Labour’s 2004 ban on fox hunting.

Mr Cameron also wants to go ahead with plans to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

That will stop Labour’s inbuilt advantage in the constituency boundary system – and make it tougher for them to topple the Tories in 2020.


UNITED KINGDOM

Saturday, 09 May 2015 00:00 Written by

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