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Life term for mother-to-be killer

Alan McMullan

A man who stabbed a heavily pregnant woman in a random street attack has been jailed for life.

Alan McMullan attacked Claire Wilson, 21, as she walked to work in a Grimsby pizza restaurant last June.

Hull Crown Court heard McMullan, 54, claimed voices had told him to harm people and he had previously received treatment from mental health services.

McMullan, of Sherwood Road, Grimsby, was told he would serve at least 20 years in jail for Miss Wilson’s murder.

McMullan admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility when he appeared at Hull Crown Court last September.

However, his plea was not accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The jury of six men and six women returned a verdict of guilty on the murder charge on Wednesday after deliberating for an hour and 30 minutes.

The seven-day trial heard how Miss Wilson, who was six months pregnant, and her unborn baby died in hospital after McMullan forcefully stabbed her in the back in Pasture Street before walking "casually" away.

He told police officers who arrested him: "I’ve got voices in my head telling me to do it. I left the knife stuck in her."

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

Council ‘may cut over 500 jobs’

Carmarthenshire County Council HQ

A council is warning that it may have to lose more than 500 jobs over the next three years as it makes cutbacks.

Carmarthenshire county council said it hoped this could be achieved through voluntary rather than compulsory redundancy.

"Over 500 jobs may have to go over the next three years unless we can provide services in a different way or at less cost," said spokesman Paul Thomas.

Local politicians described the news as "devastating" and "a hammer blow".

Mr Thomas, the council’s assistant chief executive, said that while no compulsory redundancies were planned for the year ahead, there would be reductions in some services when staff leave or retire.

"Unless we are able to find different ways of providing services at less cost, or are able to reduce the cost of services in general, it is inevitable that further job losses will be needed," he said.

He added: "It needs to be emphasised that we would hope that this can be done through voluntary, not compulsory redundancy."

Mr Thomas said the council had written to its staff asking if they would be interested in flexible working options such as reducing their hours, career breaks and voluntary early retirements for those aged over 55 by March 2011.

"All departments have been working towards identifying potential savings of 12.5% over the next three years, and this work is ongoing."

Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM and Jonathan Edwards MP have both expressed their concern at the situation.

‘Devastating’

They said they would be writing to the council to arrange a meeting to discuss the potential impact and how support could be given to those facing unemployment.

"This is obviously devastating news for people in the county," said Mr Thomas, Plaid Cymru AM for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr.

Mr Thomas urged the council to explore all other possible avenues for making savings before resorting to job cuts.

"I will be taking this matter up with the Welsh Assembly Government in order to ensure that everything is done from that end in terms of seeking to increase job opportunities and training in the county," he said.

Jonathan Edwards, Plaid’s MP for the same area, said: "There is already a high level of unemployment in the county and so clearly talk of slashing anything up to 500 jobs will be a hammer blow.

"What is certain is that these job cuts should not be a bulk cull of the lowest paid employees. The council will need to look at its approach holistically with cut backs being targeted also at remuneration packages of senior officers."

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

Abbott enters Labour leader race

Diane Abbott

Backbench MP Diane Abbott has joined the race for the Labour leadership.

The Londoner told the BBC her bid was "serious", saying there was little between the other candidates and she would be offering Labour a choice.

The 57-year-old Cambridge graduate, who became the UK’s first black woman MP in 1987, said she was getting support from both MPs on the left and women MPs.

She is the sixth person to enter the race after David and Ed Miliband, John McDonnell, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham.

Contenders have until Thursday 27 May to gather the backing of 33 Labour MPs – a timetable some have said is too tight, particularly for less high-profile candidates.

‘More diverse’

Ms Abbott, the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP who in recent years has been a fixture on the BBC’s This Week programme, said: "We need to speak to our supporters and speak to our members in a way that we are not speaking to them up until now."

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she was "attracting support not just from the Left but from women and other MPs that want to see a more diverse range of candidates".

At the general election, Ms Abbott increased her constituency majority to 14,461, with a swing to Labour from the Liberal Democrats.

Former Health Secretary Andy Burnham, 40, announced his intention to stand for leader and "rebuild the party for new times" in an article for Thursday’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

He said the party owed a "debt of thanks" to former prime ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair but said he would end "stage-managed" politics.

On Wednesday Ed Balls launched his campaign, saying he wanted to "listen first, hear what the public say".

The close ally of Mr Brown said the contest was not about "Blair versus Brown" or "old Labour versus new Labour".

Left-wing MP John McDonnell said he wants to stand but the timetable makes it "almost impossible" and argues the process has been "stitched up from the start".

Ed Miliband has also said it should be longer. On his Twitter page, he wrote: "MPs/members annoyed about short nominations timetable: I have to say I agree. Need broadest possible choice & time for MPs to decide&consult".

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

Full Tory-Lib Dem deal unveiled

David Cameron and Nick Clegg

Details of the coalition deal struck between the Tories and the Lib Dems are to be published in full, which the parties say is a "historic document".

In the foreword, David Cameron and Nick Clegg say although their parties have differences, there is "common ground".

But there may be tension as MPs learn which policies have been scrapped.

Conservative MP Bill Cash has said there is "very acute" concern among his colleagues that the Tory manifesto is being watered down.

The 30-page document was discussed by Lib Dem MPs at a meeting on Wednesday – a spokesman told the BBC "people were very pleased with the agreement".

Royal Mail

Prime Minister Mr Cameron and Deputy PM Mr Clegg will unveil the final document later – which will give more details than the four-page deal produced during negotiations in the days after the UK election resulted in a hung Parliament.

The Guardian reported that the two parties had agreed to try to privatise Royal Mail – an issue that proved explosive for the previous Labour government, which shelved it in the face of backbench and union anger.

In their manifesto, the Lib Dems proposed selling 49% to raise money for investment and splitting the remaining 51% between an employee trust and the government.

A spokeswoman for Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC: "All options that have been considered are consistent with the coalition agreement and details will follow".

The coalition deal includes the agreements worked out with civil servants on policy areas like banking, civil liberties, defence, the environment, Europe, immigration, welfare and political reform – some of which the parties have disagreed in the past.

But Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg, hailing the deal as a "historic document in British politics", wrote: "As our parties have worked together it has become increasingly clear to us that, though there are differences, there is also common ground."

The joint foreword promises "sweeping reform of welfare, taxes and most of all our schools – with a breaking open of the state monopoly and extra money following the poorest pupils".

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the reference to schools was designed to reassure Tory activists and backbench MPs, some of whom viewed compromises between the two parties as a betrayal of manifesto commitments.

Mr Cameron risked stoking Tory backbench anger further on Wednesday evening when he unexpectedly asked his MPs to vote through changes to the powerful backbench 1922 Committee, which would allow ministers to play a bigger role – including voting for the chairman.

Mr Cash, who was also annoyed that the Tory commitment to replace the Human Rights Act with a "British Bill of Rights" has been referred to a government commission, told the BBC there was a "tsunami of changes taking place" which could "create a great deal of uncertainty and tension".

He said there was "very acute" concern among Conservatives that the party’s position was being watered down.

"We want things to work, we want stability, but there are also these democratic questions about being elected on manifesto commitments."

Pre-released extracts from the agreement on education show the parties have agreed on a "significant premium for disadvantaged pupils" as well as the Tory policy of allowing parents and charities to set up new schools.

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