Tory leadership hopeful pledges to ease mortgage approval process for renters

Liz Truss has pledged to make homeownership more attainable by helping renters prove they can afford a mortgage. She plans to allow rent payments to be considered when assessing mortgage affordability. Truss aims to remove obstacles that prevent many renters from buying a home, including restrictive lending criteria. Additionally, she seeks to streamline housing development by empowering local communities and reducing bureaucratic planning hurdles. Truss’s vision focuses on breaking down barriers to homeownership, tackling the housing crisis, and boosting property development across the UK.

John McDonnell criticises Keir Starmer’s handling of the Sam Tarry issue and endorses coordinated industrial action.

John McDonnell, former shadow chancellor, has expressed his support for a general strike as tensions rise within the Labour Party over the sacking of Sam Tarry. Sir Keir Starmer is facing increasing pressure from unions and the left-wing of his party following Tarry’s dismissal after publicly supporting the rail strikes and participating in media interviews without prior approval from party leadership.

McDonnell described Starmer’s actions as a “severe mistake” and accused the Labour leader of misunderstanding the public’s sentiment. He also condemned the unnecessary row, particularly at a time when the Conservative Party is embroiled in internal strife, presenting Labour with an opportunity to gain an advantage in the polls. McDonnell believes the party could have capitalised on the disarray within the Tories and built momentum toward securing a general election victory.

The former shadow chancellor also endorsed coordinated industrial action, including the possibility of a general strike, as proposed by RMT union leader Mick Lynch. He stated that millions of workers are voting for industrial action, and co-ordinating these efforts could lead to a pay rise for workers grappling with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. McDonnell argued that supporting strikes was crucial to ensuring workers’ rights and welfare, particularly in light of the economic challenges faced by many families.

While the Labour Party has not officially backed the strikes, McDonnell urged the party leadership to reassess its position and unify both the labour and trade union movement, as well as the broader public. He claimed that Starmer and his advisers have misread both the mood within the party and the public’s views on the situation.

The backlash from unions, Labour MPs, and key figures was swift following Tarry’s dismissal. Some Labour MPs, including Rachael Maskell from York Central, called for Starmer to visit picket lines to show solidarity with striking workers. Additionally, GMB union leader Gary Smith criticised the decision, calling it a “huge own goal” for Labour, while former Labour deputy prime minister Lord John Prescott tweeted his support for striking workers, recalling his own experiences with the 1984 miners’ strike.

Despite the criticism, a Labour spokesperson justified Tarry’s removal from the frontbench, stating that members must adhere to collective responsibility and follow party protocols, including approval for media appearances and alignment with frontbench positions. Tarry, however, remained resolute in his support for the striking rail workers and vowed to continue campaigning for Labour’s success at the next general election, albeit from the backbenches.

On the day of the sacking, rail passengers faced widespread disruptions as thousands of workers walked out on strike, further highlighting the ongoing tensions between Labour’s leadership and its unions. Several backbench Labour MPs, including Ian Byrne, Dawn Butler, and Emma Lewell-Buck, joined the picket lines in solidarity with the workers.

Government and survivors call for deeper acknowledgment of the Catholic Church’s role in residential school abuses.

The Canadian government has expressed that Pope Francis’ recent apology to Indigenous communities for the suffering caused by church-run residential schools is insufficient, emphasising that true reconciliation remains far from achieved. The remarks came as the Pope arrived in Quebec City, where he met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon on the second leg of his week-long visit to Canada.

While the Pope acknowledged the “evil” committed by church personnel and described the residential school system as “catastrophic,” critics pointed to significant gaps in his apology, notably his omission of sexual abuse and his failure to directly assign institutional responsibility to the Catholic Church. This sentiment was shared by many survivors of the system, who have long demanded an apology that includes an explicit acknowledgment of the Church’s role in supporting policies of forced assimilation.

The residential school system, which operated from the 19th century until the 1970s, sought to remove over 150,000 Indigenous children from their families and culture, often subjecting them to physical and sexual abuse. Francis described the system as a policy “promoted by governmental authorities at the time,” but did not hold the Church accountable for its active involvement in these abuses.

Trudeau, a Catholic whose father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, was in office while the last residential schools were still functioning, reinforced the call for the Church to take responsibility as an institution. He noted that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had in 2015 called for an apology, and emphasised that survivors’ courage in pressing the issue had made the Pope’s visit possible. He added that the Church must do more to atone, suggesting that while the Pope’s apology was a significant step, much more is required from the Vatican.

Echoing the concerns of Indigenous leaders, Marc Miller, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, pointed out that the Pope’s apology did not address the specific issue of sexual abuse, which many survivors had highlighted. Miller also criticised the Pope’s failure to take responsibility for the Catholic Church’s systemic support of the assimilation policies, which have left lasting scars on Indigenous communities.

Some survivors have welcomed the Pope’s apology as a genuine step toward healing, while others argue it falls short of addressing the full scope of the Church’s complicity. Pope Francis himself has acknowledged that the healing process will be long and difficult, but reaffirmed his commitment to working with the Canadian church and government to foster reconciliation.

The Pope’s visit, which included no specific proposals for action from the Vatican, marked a first step in a lengthy and challenging journey of reconciliation, with Indigenous leaders stressing that this must be followed by tangible steps toward justice and healing for those affected by the residential school system.

The incumbent prosecutor, facing legal challenges, is defeated by defence attorney Ivan Bates in the Democratic primary.

Marilyn Mosby, the incumbent Baltimore State’s Attorney, has lost her bid for re-election in the Democratic primary to defence attorney Ivan Bates. Mosby, who rose to national prominence in 2015 for prosecuting six police officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray, faced mounting legal troubles of her own in the lead-up to the election.

Bates, who is the managing partner of the Baltimore law firm Bates and Garcia, campaigned on a platform calling for a change in leadership, focusing on the need for ethical, transparent, and effective prosecution. He defeated not only Mosby but also former assistant attorney general Thiru Vignarajah, a contender in the primary.

Baltimore, a predominantly Democratic city, has no Republican candidate in the race, but unaffiliated candidate Roya Hanna is set to run in the general election in November.

Mosby, who served two terms as State’s Attorney, became a controversial figure following the prosecution of the police officers involved in the Freddie Gray case. The charges, which sparked widespread protests and riots, were ultimately unsuccessful, as none of the officers were convicted. In January, Mosby was indicted by a grand jury on two counts each of perjury and making false statements in connection with a loan application to purchase properties in Florida. Mosby has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The indictment alleges that Mosby falsely claimed the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to withdraw $90,000 from her city retirement account, despite earning over $247,000 in salary in 2020, a year in which her pay was not reduced.

Bates’s victory comes amid increasing concerns over violent crime in Baltimore, which has seen more than 300 homicides annually over the past seven years. The city recorded its deadliest January in decades earlier this year, with 36 murders.

The Democratic primary results were delayed until Friday, as mail ballots, which were a significant factor in the outcome, could not be counted until the Thursday following the election. Maryland law mandates that counties cannot open mail ballots before this time. With this victory, Bates is now poised to challenge the city’s ongoing issues of crime and public safety.