A man has been charged with assaulting the former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith in Manchester last year.
Elliot Bovill, 31, appeared in Manchester Magistrates’ Court, where he was accused of common assault against the senior Tory MP in the city centre on 4 October 2021, although it was confirmed that no further details of the offence were read out during the hearing, and Mr Bovill did not enter a plea.
The incident occurred while the Conservative Party Conference was happening in Manchester city centre, and was said to have happened while Sir Iain was walking to a fringe event with his wife, Betsy.
Sir Iain was due to take part in a talk with then-Brexit minister, Lord David Frost, at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel.
At the time of the incident, the former Tory party leader told The Spectator that he had been struck on the back of the head “with a traffic cone”, and he also told the BBC that protestors shouted “Tory scum” at him while he made his way to the fringe event – but he managed to escape from the situation without any serious injury.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith served as the Leader of the Conservative Party from 2001 – 2003 / Credit: Sky News / Parliament TV
He told The Spectator: “For half a second I was about to go up and punch them, I went forward and they all backed off – I nearly knocked them out, lost my rag”.
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Sir Iain also told the BBC at the time: “They then decided to follow me and started shouting abuse, such as ‘Tory scum’ and any other reason they could think of. I carried on walking and when I was getting close to the place [where I had a meeting], someone came up with one of those rather heavy traffic cones and tried to smack me with it in the back of the head.”
Greater Manchester Police arrested five people following the incident.
During the hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, Mr Bovill was told that the case was being moved to Westminster Magistrates’ Court, and was granted unconditional bail to appear again on 16 May.
Two other people have also been charged in connection with the incident.
Radical Haslam, 28, of New Wakefield Street, Manchester, and Ruth Wood, 50, of Oak Tree Avenue, Cambridge, are accused of using threatening, abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence.
Mr Haslam did not attend court, but Ms Wood appeared by video link and was also bailed until 16 May.
Prime Minister set to announce extra bank holiday if England win the 2026 World Cup
Danny Jones
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly set to announce an extra bank holiday if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What a way to sign off from the highest office in Great Britain, eh?
According to Sky News journalist Beth Rigby, the outgoing PM is expected to reveal an extended period of celebration across the country if/should/WHEN (you’ve got to believe) the Three Lions reach this year’s World Cup final and lift the biggest prize in global sport.
Starmer may be gearing up to leave No. 10 Downing Street soon, but he can certainly earn himself a few more points in the pros column should this familiar rumour come to fruition.
The PM is planning to announce a bank holiday if England win the World Cup. Final is the day before handover of power day on July 20. PM expected to confirm bank holiday if England reach the final, with the likely date set to be July 24. Dare to dream!
As Rigby states in her post on X, this decision would fall just before the transition in leadership, with Greater Manchester’s own Mayor Andy Burnham all but confirmed at the head of the table already within the Labour Party cabinet.
Regarding the still only potential bank holiday – Thomas Tuchel’s side still need to make it through the quarter-final and the semis, remember – the Sky reporter states that the following Friday, 24 July, is the most likely date.
Understandably, plenty on social media are already rejoicing over the prospect, but some aren’t content with waiting a week to carry on the post-trophy lift party, with many arguing that it should be the Monday morning immediately after the final next Sunday (19/2/2026).
Let’s be honest, there’ll be lots of people pulling sickies regardless of whether or not their bosses are left to grant a day off.
Many have already rightly argued that such decisions should have been made in the past after the Lionesses won not just one but two back-to-back European Championships; we’re willing to forgive and move on if the powers that be make it happen this time.
Starmer recently said that despite always believing England will “go all the way”, he didn’t want to jinx anything, simply telling the BBC’s Chris Mason: “Ask me again if we make the final.”
Either way, the general jubilation should England end 60 ‘years of hurt’ will be nothing short of colossal, and it would only feel right given the sheer gravity of the would-be achievement.
We’re even getting excited merely by the idea of some additional and, at present, strictly hypothetical pre- and post-match entertainment…
Radcliffe man, 76, jailed after sexually abusing young teenage girls more than 40 years ago
Emily Sergeant
A man who sexually abused two teenage girls more than 40 years ago has been put behind bars.
After two brave women came forward and disclosed to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) the abuse they endured more than four decades ago, Kenneth Goodman, of Greendale Drive in Radcliffe, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 years, and three counts of gross indecency with a girl also under the age of 14.
Both victims knew Goodman in a ‘professional capacity’, police explained, and were in their early teenage years at the time of the abuse.
The first survivor approached GMP in 2018 to report the abuse Goodman subjected her to, and then this subsequent investigation then led officers to identifying a second survivor who confirmed she had been in a sexual relationship with Goodman as a teenager.
The first woman was subjected to abuse on numerous occasions when she was around Goodman – with him making inappropriate comments to her and coercing her into sexual activity when they were alone together.
The second woman was groomed over a period of around three years, with Goodman initially manipulating her at the age of 12 into being in a relationship with him and engaging in sexual activity.
Goodman told the victim that as she had turned 13, they could ‘go further with their intimacy’, before the abuse continued until around the time the victim was 15.
Following his arrest in 2019, Goodman denied the offences, but a jury found him guilty at a trial in March earlier this year.
He will serve six years in prison and has been placed on the sex offender’s register for life.
Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jonathan McGregor, from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “This has been an ongoing investigation and the victims have shown incredible strength and patience throughout the process.
“I would firstly like to express my gratitude to them, as their support during this investigation has led to the conviction and sentencing of Goodman.
“This was an awful case about abuse of power. Goodman took advantage of these women from such a young age, and they have carried this with them since.
“I hope this sentence can now provide them with a sense of comfort and reassurance that no matter how long it has been, we will always take reports of this nature seriously, and we will do everything we can to ensure perpetrators see justice.”
Emily Sergeant -
28th April 2022 
