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Police changes ‘threaten safety’

Sir Hugh OrdeSir Hugh Orde will open the Association of Chief Police Officers’ annual conference in Harrogate
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Plans for reforming the police service risk “compromising the safety of citizens for reasons of expediency”, the government will be warned later.

Sir Hugh Orde will say the changes could “threaten the impartial model of policing” that is “revered across the world” if they are “mismanaged”.

The message will come in a conference speech by the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Home Secretary Theresa May will also address the gathering in Harrogate.

Sir Hugh will open the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) annual conference by urging ministers to be clearer about their proposals.

He is set to say: “The service of last resort is going through a period of substantial change.

“Changes to accountability, changes to central structures and changes to pay and conditions, which if mismanaged could threaten the impartial model of policing that has existed for 180 years and is revered across the world.

“We understand the government’s determination to deliver a substantial programme of reforms across the public sector, but we cannot afford to get policing wrong, and unless greater clarity emerges in the very near future I fear that we run the risk of compromising the safety of citizens for reasons of expediency.”

Mrs May is expected to defend the government’s attempts at cutting costs in the police service, before taking a question and answer session.

The government is planning to cut its £11bn funding for the police in England and Wales by 20% by 2014-15.

Sir Hugh will tell the conference that “the public sector is facing the most challenging times in living memory”.

“In short, we have a change programme that at one end will produce some of the most radical changes to police governance since 1829, and at the other will without question reduce police and staff numbers and pay,” he will say.

“That is a huge challenge for Acpo, as the leaders of the service.”

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Royals to take part in boat race

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge greet the crew of HMCS MontrealThe couple sailed from Montreal to Quebec City
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on board a Canadian naval ship, travelling from Montreal to Quebec City, on the latest leg of their first overseas tour as a married couple.

Overnight they sailed up the St Lawrence river to the city on the frigate HMCS Montreal.

Their agenda for Sunday involves morning prayers with the crew on the helicopter deck of frigate.

They will then visit a youth project and attend a military ceremony.

The ceremony honours the Royal 22nd Regiment of Canada in the city, as well as a Freedom of the City Ceremony, at Quebec City Hall.

They will also attend a community event, including barbecues and stalls, before a short flight to Prince Edward Island.

Prince Edward Island is the most easterly point of the tour, and is known as the home of Anne of Green Gables – a fictional character said to be a favourite of the duchess.

2011 itinerary highlights

The Duchess and Duke of Cambridge

30 June: Arrival in Ottawa1 July: Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa2 July: Visit to a Montreal cookery school3 July: Freedom of the city ceremony in Quebec City4 July: William takes part in Sea King helicopter training session on Prince Edward Island5 July: Visit to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories7 July: Arrival in Calgary8 July: Attend Calgary Stampede. Leave for USHighlights of the royal tour

The official welcome to Prince Edward Island is on Monday, and the Canadian government expects their visit may be a focal point for many well-wishers from across the Maritimes provinces, Clarence House said earlier.

On Monday, still on Prince Edward Island, Prince William will take part in a Sea King helicopter training session.

A dragon boat race is scheduled for later, with the husband and wife steering opposing teams.

Their first overseas tour has involved a tree-planting ceremony in the grounds of Government House, in Ottawa; a Montreal children’s hospital visit; and a citizenship ceremony for 25 new Canadians who had come from 12 different countries.

They were also guests of honour for celebrations for Canada Day, when about 100,000 people joined events on Parliament Hill as part of a national holiday to mark the country’s 144th birthday.

In Montreal there was a protest outside the hospital the couple visited, with about 60 protesters shouting “down with the monarchy” and “We will never bend, Willy go home!”

They also chanted “French Quebec!” and “Parasite go home!”

The couple are visiting seven Canadian cities in eight days in their first official overseas tour.

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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

S&P warns on Greek debt default

Protester stands before a fire on Syntagma Square in AthensThere have been violent protests against the austerity measures in Greece

Standard & Poor’s has downgraded Greece’s credit rating yet again, partly due to what it sees as the rising risk of the country having to restructure its private sector debts.

The rating agency downgraded Greece to CCC from B and said it would consider any such restructuring as a default.

Last week, the Greek parliament passed tough austerity measures to secure further financial aid.

However, there is a growing sense that a debt restructuring is inevitable.

German and French banks have already agreed in principle to roll over loans to Greece in order to give the country more time to repay its debts.

This could involve effectively reinvesting the proceeds of maturing Greek debt into newly-issued bonds.

Standard & Poor’s said that, depending on the circumstances, it viewed “certain types of debt exchanges and similar restructurings as equivalent to a payment default”.

The options laid out so far for restructuring Greek debt would constitute such a default, it said.

Over the weekend, eurozone finance ministers approved the latest tranche of emergency help for the Greek economy.

They will release 12bn euros (£10.4bn, $17.4bn) in the next two weeks to help Greece meet spending commitments and avoid defaulting on its huge debts.

Last week, the Greek parliament passed tough austerity measures demanded by the European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

MPs backed the measures despite angry protests on the streets of Athens.

Last May, the EU and IMF provided 110bn euros in emergency loans to Greece, and agreed last month to provide another 120bn euros in loans to try and help the country though its debt crisis.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

English ‘divided’ on Scots future

Alex Salmond gives an autographOpinion was evenly divided as to whether there should be a UK-wide referendum
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Almost half of people in England do not want Scotland to become independent, a poll suggests.

The ComRes survey for BBC’s Newsnight and Radio 4’s World at One found 48% of voters in England wanted Scotland to remain within the United Kingdom.

If Scotland voted for separation, 45% said they would like a referendum in the rest of the UK.

ComRes chairman Andrew Hawkins said it suggested both nations should have a say in any decision about the Union.

The poll asked 864 adults in England a variety of questions relating to Scottish independence.

Following an historic election victory in May, Scotland’s SNP government promised to hold a referendum on Scottish independence within the next five years.

“That almost half of the English feel that they would like a say over Scotland’s future suggests that the Union should be England’s as well as Scotland’s to determine”

Andrew Hawkins Comres

English support for Scottish independence polled at 36% – almost exactly the same as the result of a poll for the Herald newspaper last month, which suggested 37% of Scots favoured separation.

Despite increasing complaints from English MPs that Scotland gets too much funding from Westminster, 51% of those surveyed thought that an independent Scotland would not make any difference to how well off England was.

While 21% of people thought England would be worse off, 19% said it would be better off.

On the issue of whether there would have to be a second referendum in the rest of the United Kingdom should Scotland vote for independence, as recently suggested by Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, opinion was fairly evenly split.

Forty-five percent said the rest of the United Kingdom should get a say, while 47% said it should not.

The poll in figures

Street performer wearing a union flag suit

36% say Scotland should become a fully independent country, but 48% say it should not.51% say an independent Scotland would make no difference to England, while 19% believe it would leave England better off and 21% worse off.45% say a referendum should be held in the rest of the UK before Scotland can be allowed to be independent, while 47% say there is no need for one.36% say England should become an independent country, irrespective of any Scottish vote while 57% say it should not.

ComRes interviewed 864 English adults by telephone between 24 and 26 June 2011. Data was weighted to be demographically representative of all English adults.

Regardless of what Scotland decides to do, however, the poll indicated that most English people wanted England to remain within a United Kingdom, with 57% saying they would not like the country to become fully independent with its own government.

But more than a third did want to see an independent England – the same number as those who supported an independent Scotland.

Mr Hawkins said: “The English take a remarkably similar line to the Scots when it comes to independence, which perhaps adds weight to the argument that ‘Scottishness’ itself is specious, that Scots are simply those people who live in the northern-most part of Great Britain.

“That almost half of the English feel that they would like a say over Scotland’s future suggests that the Union should be England’s as well as Scotland’s to determine.”

John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University told the BBC that the poll suggested that “for the most part, England wants the Union to continue and certainly sees little advantage in it ending, but probably would not die in a ditch to keep it preserved”.

“After all, for most people in England, Scotland is not a significant ‘other’,” he said.

You can hear more about the poll in The World at One on BBC Radio 4 at 1300 BST and on Newsnight on BBC Two at 2230 BST on Monday 4 July 2011 and after on BBC iPlayer (UK only).

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.