The Government has announced it will be taking a series of “immediate steps” to provide “further reassurance for women and girls” in Britain – potentially deploying undercover police to night-time venues when they reopen.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired a meeting of the Criminal Justice Department in the wake of the ‘Reclaim These Streets’ movement – which has been sweeping the country demanding greater action to protect women.
The campaign was born following the disappearance of Sarah Everard – who went missing while walking home from a friend’s house in March.
Her body was later found in Kent, and serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens has been charged with kidnap and murder.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil in London last weekend – which was held as part of a mission to “reclaim streets and our public spaces” and “shine a light to remember those lost.”
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But the display turned ugly as police moved in to make arrests – with the actions of officers widely criticised.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has commissioned an independent investigation into the incident.
The Government has now announced it is now doubling the size of the ‘Safer Streets’ fund – which provides neighbourhood measures such as better lighting and CCTV – and working with police to focus on “target areas of potential concern for women and girls.”
This could include parks and alleyways, as well as routes between bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
A piloted ‘Project Vigilant’ could also see uniformed and undercover officers visit clubs and bars to identify predatory offenders and “better ensure women are safe in these locations”.
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There are also plans to increase police patrols as people leave bars at closing time.
The Prime Minister said the “horrific case has unleashed a wave of feeling about women not feeling safe at night.”
“We must do everything we can to ensure our streets are safe, and we are bringing in landmark legislation to toughen sentences and put more police on the streets,” he stated.
“We are also now taking further steps to provide greater reassurance, such as providing better lighting and greater use of CCTV in parks and routes women may take on their walks home.
“Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them.”
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How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?
Emily Sergeant
All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.
Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.
This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.
According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected.
Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.
This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
News
Manchester to host G20 Summit in 2027 with more than a dozen world leaders descending on the city
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed as the host city for the G20 Summit next year.
It was already announced back in November last year that the G20 Summit would be coming to the UK in 2027, and plans were apparently already being discussed to host it in Manchester even before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Number 10 North was set up.
But now, ahead of this year’s leaders’ summit being held in Miami in December, it has been confirmed that the G20 Summit will arrive in Manchester in November 2027.
Manchester is said to have been picked to host the leaders’ summit because of its ‘cultural heritage’.
Bringing together 19 of the world’s largest economies and two major multilateral bodies – the European Union and the African union – G20 members who will be invited to attend the summit next year make up 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population as a whole.
Manchester has been confirmed to host the G20 Summit in 2027 / Credit: 10 Downing Street | Paul Kagame (Flickr)
G20 members are also some of the UK’s closest economic partners, the Government insists.
17 of the UK’s top 20 global export markets attend the summit, as do 18 of the UK’s top 20 sources of foreign direct investment.
The presidency of the G20 is currently held by the US but will pass to the UK after the leaders’ summit hosted by the president at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in December.
The 2027 summit will be held at Manchester Central, it has been confirmed, and other locations across the UK will also host other G20 events as part of the year-long presidency, but these are yet to be announced.
The Manc -
16th March 2021 
