MET Police Commissioner Cressida Dick admitted today that it would be “naive” to suggest Tory austerity had had no affect on fighting crime.
She told the home affairs select committee that “austerity has probably had something to do with” the recent spike in violent crime in London, which has claimed 65 lives already this year.
Labour shadow policing minister Louise Haigh said the commissioner’s comments fatally undermined the Tory line that police cuts had not had harmed crime prevention.
Councillor SAM WHEELER says there’s a tangible shift in mood on the left in the city whose mayor has recently become PM — but there’s no room for complacency
Driven by anti-fascism and anger at Britain’s policy of non-intervention, thousands volunteered to fight in the Spanish civil war. Historian RICHARD BAXELL reflects on their sacrifices and enduring significance
Evidence to peers from medical leaders, patient safety officials and the children’s commissioner has intensified fears that the Bill’s safeguards are inadequate, writes ADAM JAMES POLLOCK



