Police find no evidence of criminality in Gorton and Denton byelection
Police have found no evidence of criminality in the Gorton and Denton byelection after claims by Nigel Farage that it was “a victory for cheating”.Reform UK had asked Greater Manchester police (GMP) to investigate allegations of corrupt voting in the Greater Manchester contest, which the Green party won.The election observers’ group Democracy Volunteers said it had witnessed “concerningly high levels” of so-called family voting, where one family member dictates how others cast their ballot.However, GMP said on Friday its investigation had found “no evidence of any intent to influence or refrain any person from voting”.Four observers from Democracy Volunteers had given accounts to police of about 32 potentially suspicious voting habits.
These include instances in which more than one voter goes into a booth at the same time, and people looking over the shoulder of voters.However, GMP said the volunteers had not alleged any verbal instruction or physical conduct that indicated one person was directing or coercing another about how to vote.The force said this was a “crucial part of the legislation to prove such an offence was committed” under the Representation of the People Act 1983.It added: “We have asked Democracy Volunteers for descriptions of those alleged to be involved, and timings on when these are believed to have occurred.These details were not documented by observers or the complainant, and we have not been provided with any identities or descriptions to pursue.
“The absence of this information means there is no remaining reasonable line of inquiry,”Farage, the Reform UK leader, called the findings an “establishment whitewash”,He said: “This isn’t good enough,We need proper oversight, real accountability, and the courage to admit when something isn’t right,Not another brushed-under-the-carpet report from the usual suspects.
”A Green party source said Reform’s attempt to “undermine” the result of the byelection had been shown to be “baseless”,They added: “The Reform candidate’s behaviour after the count was positively Trumpian – a petulant refusal to accept a clear outcome,While we didn’t expect much better from Reform, it was still concerning to see unsubstantiated claims and racist dog whistles, amplified by parts of the media,We shouldn’t allow confidence in our democracy to be corroded in this way,”As part of the month-long inquiry, police sought CCTV from all 45 polling stations in the byelection and all but four said footage was not recorded that day as it would have compromised the secrecy of the vote.
CCTV available from three of the polling stations showed no evidence of anyone directing or coercing another regarding how to vote, police said.Detectives also spoke to senior officials at 15 stations as well as the acting returning officer, none of whom received any reports of corrupt voting other than from Democracy Volunteers.Farage claimed after the result that his party had been the victim of “sectarian voting and cheating”.In a video post, he called the contest “a victory for cheating in elections”.He had asked police to investigate claims of family voting, calling the allegations “deeply concerning” and saying they raised “serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process in predominantly Muslim areas”.
The Green party won its first seat in the north of England as Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green party councillor, overturned Labour’s 13,000-vote majority.Spencer said: “It was a fair election, run within the law and one that saw me elected with an overwhelming majority.Throughout the campaign, our communities refused to be turned against each other, and that’s exactly what we’ll carry on doing.”A Green party spokesperson said: “New Green MP Hannah Spencer ran a positive campaign focused on the issues that mattered to local people, such as bringing down the cost of living and protecting the NHS.We’re so proud to have her elected to parliament, and will be taking this message of hope across the country in the upcoming local and Senedd elections.
”Labour came third in the tightly contested race, 5,616 votes behind the Greens on 14,980 votes, while Reform UK finished second with 10,578 votes,The Reform candidate, Matthew Goodwin, an academic turned GB News presenter, blamed his loss on “a coalition of Islamists and woke progressives”, which he said had “come together to dominate the constituency”,
Wall Street hits six-month low and Dow falls into correction as Trump ‘appears to lose his grip on markets’ – as it happened
The US stock market has dropped to its lowest level since last September, as analysts warn that president Trump may be losing his grip on the markets.The S&P 500 index has dropped by 0.8% today to 6,425 points, adding to Thursday’s 1.75% fall on the benchmark US stock market index.The tech-focused Nasdaq index is down 1%, also at a six-month low
Lloyds bank faces £66m court battle with car loan customers
Lloyds Banking Group is facing a court battle with 30,000 aggrieved car loan customers who are to abandon the City regulator’s official redress scheme amid fears it will shortchange consumers and favour lenders.The claims law firm Courmacs Legal is planning to file a £66m omnibus claim on behalf of borrowers who believe they were financially harmed by car loan contracts set up by Lloyds’ motor finance arm, Black Horse.The grievances are part of a much wider car loans commission scandal, in which drivers were overcharged for their loans due to unfair commission arrangements between lenders and car dealers.However, the omnibus case, which is expected to be filed in the coming weeks, means consumers are deciding to pre-emptively waive their rights to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) estimated £11bn compensation scheme, even before the final details are due to be set out on Monday. That is despite claims law firms such as Courmacs taking a 28% cut of any potential payout
Sony to hike PS5 prices by $100 as AI and Iran war push up memory chip costs
Sony is raising global prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles, including a $100 increase in the US, marking its second hike in less than a year as the entertainment giant grapples with rising costs of key components such as memory chips.The tech industry’s race to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure has pushed memory makers to favor higher-margin datacenter chips, tightening supply for consumer devices like the ones Sony sells.The updated US prices, effective 2 April, will put the standard PS5 at $649.99, up from $549.99
Wikipedia bans AI-generated content in its online encyclopedia
Wikipedia has banned the use of artificial intelligence in the generation or rewriting of content for its voluminous online encyclopedia.In a recent policy change, Wikipedia said that the use of large language models (or LLMs) “often violates” its core principles and will not be allowed. The English language version of Wikipedia has more than 7.1m articles.The use of AI has been a contentious issue among Wikipedia’s community of volunteer editors but a vote among the site’s editors supported the ban, according to 404 Media
Tiger Woods arrested on suspicion of DUI after rollover crash in Florida
Golf star Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a rollover crash in Florida on Friday afternoon, local authorities said.Martin County sheriff John Budensiek said Woods was driving a Land Rover that overturned after attempting to overtake a truck on a narrow two-lane road shortly before 2pm near Woods’s residence on Jupiter Island. The vehicle clipped a trailer, veered off and came to rest on its driver’s side after sliding along the roadway.The truck had been slowing to turn into a driveway when Woods approached at what the sheriff described as a “high rate of speed” on a road with a 30mph limit.Woods, who was alone in the vehicle, was able to exit through the passenger side
Defeat not an option for Saracens’ McCall in crunch Northampton clash
Prestigious Prem matches are scattered across the country on Saturday but none is more significant in the title race than Saracens’ date with Northampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.By the time Sarries and Saints run out for their evening kick-off in north London, Gloucester will have played Leicester at Villa Park, before Bristol meet Harlequins at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.More than 100,000 fans will attend those three matches alone but when it comes to the destiny of the Prem trophy, table-topping Northampton’s trip to Tottenham is the one to watch – and also promises the most fascinating duel between coaches.Sarries have won plenty under Mark McCall, the long-serving director of rugby who will step down in the summer. But after a frustratingly inconsistent season his side face a fight to make the playoffs, sitting sixth, eight points behind fourth-placed Exeter
New York City hospitals drop Palantir as controversial AI firm expands in UK
Human rights groups cheer ‘watershed’ verdict in social media addiction trial
Brussels opens investigation into Snapchat amid concern over children’s safety
Google warns quantum computers could hack encrypted systems by 2029
Starmer vows to tackle social media’s ‘addictive features’ to protect children
Creator of AI actor Tilly Norwood says she received death threats over project