Reading view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.

Why the Trudeau era has come to an end now

Reuters Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks, ahead of speaking to reporters to announce he intends to step down as Liberal Party leader, but he will stay on in his post until a replacement has been chosen, from his Rideau Cottage residence in Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaReuters

For months now, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been asked variations of the same question: "Will you step down?"

But though he vowed to stay on as Liberal Party leader - despite deepening frustrations amongst voters and a political rival surging in the polls - even the self-described "fighter" could not withstand the growing chorus of members of his own party calling for him to resign.

"This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," Trudeau conceded on Monday, announcing his resignation in front of Rideau Cottage, his official residence for most of the last decade.

He will stay on as prime minister until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen, at a date yet to be set by the party.

Trudeau swept to power nearly a decade ago, heralded as the fresh face of progressive politics.

In 2015, swayed by his youthful charisma and a hopeful political message, voters catapulted the Liberals from a third-place party to holding a majority of seats in parliament - unprecedented in Canadian political history.

Now, he remains the only leader left standing among peers when he came into office, from Barack Obama to Angela Merkel, Shinzo Abe and David Cameron, and is currently the longest-serving leader in the G7.

But in the years since his ascent to the global stage, and over two general elections, Trudeau and his brand have become a drag on the party's fortunes.

Paul Wells, a Canadian political journalist and the author of Justin Trudeau on the Ropes, recently told the BBC he believes Trudeau will be remembered "as a consequential" prime minister, notably for providing genuine leadership on issues like indigenous reconciliation and, to some extent, climate policy.

But he is also one "who felt increasingly out of touch with public opinion and was increasingly unable to adjust to changing times".

A series of ethics scandals began to take the sheen off the new government - he was found to have violated federal conflict of interest rules in the handling of a corruption inquiry – the SNC-Lavalin affair - and for luxury trips to the Bahamas.

In 2020, he faced scrutiny for picking a charity with ties to his family to manage a major government programme.

In a general election in 2019, his party was reduced to a minority status, meaning the Liberals had to rely on the support of other parties to stay in power.

A snap election in 2021 did not improve their fortunes.

More recently, Trudeau faced headwinds from cost of living increases and inflation that have contributed to election upsets around the world.

And after more than nine years in power, he is among Canada's longest serving prime ministers, and there is a general sense of fatigue and frustration with his government.

The writing was on the wall. Over the summer, voters rejected Liberal candidates in a handful of special elections in once-safe Liberal seats, leading to the beginning of internal party unrest.

Public opinion polls also reached new depths.

A survey conducted over the holidays by the Angus Reid Institute suggested the lowest level of support for the party in their tracking, dating back to 2014.

But the shock resignation of his key deputy, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, in mid-December proved to be the final straw, as members of his own party made it clear they no longer supported his leadership.

Major incidents declared as UK grapples with floods, snow and ice

PA A blue train travelling along a snowy track, surrounded by snow-covered fields in Scotland.PA
Travel disruption caused by the cold and wet weather continued into Monday

Flood warnings have been issued in parts of England, as wintry conditions continue to cause travel delays and school closures across the UK.

Major incidents have been declared in Lincolnshire and Leicester over flooding caused by heavy rains.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued in Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and Wales and areas of northwest and southwest England until Tuesday morning.

Travel disruption caused by the cold and wet weather continued into Monday, with roads, railways and airports all affected.

Snow, ice and rain cause disruption in the UK

A Met Office warning for snow and ice across large parts of Scotland came into force at 16:00 and will last until midday on Tuesday.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow alert for snow and ice warning will be in place until 11:00 on Tuesday.

A yellow alert for snow and ice across Wales and parts of northwest and southwest England took effect at 17:00 on Monday, lasting until 10:00 on Tuesday.

As of Monday afternoon, there were 176 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 311 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, in place across England.

In Wales, one flood warning and 13 flood alerts are in place.

A map showing parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England covered by yellow alerts for snow and ice.
Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England

A major incident has been declared in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland due to severe flooding, with homes submerged and people left trapped in their vehicles by rising water.

Lincolnshire became the second county to declare a major incident over flooding.

Emma Hardy, the minister for water and flooding, told MPs that the country's flood defences were "in the worst condition on record". She blamed "years of under-investment" under the previous Conservative government.

"There are approximately 60,000 properties less well protected than if flood defences were at an optimal condition," she said, adding the government had pledged £2bn in the next two years to "build and maintain" flood defences.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with all those affected and thanked "responders working hard to keep communities safe".

Man rescues woman from car stranded in flood water in Leicestershire

The coldest temperature of the UK winter so far was recorded on Sunday night, when the mercury hit -13.3C (8F) in Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland.

On Monday morning, snowy conditions forced schools across north-east Scotland and northern England to close on the first day back after the Christmas holidays.

Power had to be restored to thousands of homes and businesses in the north-east of England following outages caused by the cold snap, according to network operator Northern Powergrid.

Roads across the UK were impacted by the weather. Extensive flooding in Gloucester forced the M5 to close on Monday morning. The M25 in Surrey also closed after a lorry toppled over and blocked the carriageway.

Railway lines across the UK were affected by flooding, while Manchester Airport was again forced to shut two runways after heavy snow.

Looking ahead

Tonight the weather will feel quieter, as the area of low pressure which brought snow and rain this morning has cleared eastwards but it leaves behind it some very cold air and some wintry showers.

There will be a widespread frost with temperatures dropping widely below freezing and the risk of ice almost everywhere.

There will be frost not just within the warning areas but also further east, where there has been snowmelt and the ground is still wet from recent rain.

Various warnings are in force for snow and ice issued by the Met Office.

There will be further wintry showers blowing in on a north-westerly wind through the evening and overnight period. These showers could be frequent and fall as sleet or snow especially over the high ground where there could be some accumulations.

In northern and western Scotland, wintry showers with accumulations of 5-10cm over 200m are expected.

There will be further sporadic wintry showers in the same sort of areas tomorrow but for many it will be dry with some sunshine but just very cold with temperatures no higher than mid-single figures.

There is a separate warning in place for possible snow across southern counties of England on Wednesday valid from 09:00 until midnight which could be disruptive and produce as much as 2-5cm of snow fairly widely.

However, the forecast for this remains uncertain.

How is the warming climate changing winters?

The world has warmed by more than 1C since the pre-industrial era. UK winters are changing as a result.

While the climate continues to warm overall we will still see short-term extremes of both hot and cold weather – but cold extremes are likely to become fewer and further between.

Climate change will bring us more rain. A warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture so more intense rainfall is expected to become an increasing feature of UK winters, along with a higher risk of flooding.

More NHS patients in England to be treated in private clinics as PM seeks to reduce backlog

PA Media The back of a staff member in scrubs walking down a hall in a ward at Ealing Hospital in LondonPA Media

The government has unveiled a new pledge to cut the list of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment in England by nearly half a million over the next year.

The plan, to be announced on Monday, will expand access to Community Diagnostic Centres and surgical hubs, alongside reforms designed to enhance patient choice and tackle inefficiencies.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would create millions more appointments and "deliver on our promise to end the backlogs".

The British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed the plan but was sceptical about whether it could be delivered.

The government has billed the plan as an important milestone in a broader effort to reduce the number of people enduring long waits for appointments, procedures and surgeries.

Sir Keir added: "Greater choice and convenience for patients. Staff once again able to give the standard of care they desperately want to."

A key Labour election pledge, now included in the government's six main priorities, is for 92% of patients to begin treatment or be given the all-clear within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

This has been an official NHS target for some time, but has not been met since 2015. Currently, only 59% of patients meet the 18-week target, with three million people waiting longer.

The latest promise is to reach 65% by March 2026, which, according to the government, would reduce the backlog by more than 450,000.

A network of Community Diagnostic Centres, which provide appointments such as scans and endoscopies in local neighbourhoods, will extend their opening hours to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

The aim is to get patients treated more quickly, closer to home and without relying on hospitals. Officials say these centres will provide up to half a million extra appointments each year.

GPs will also be able, where appropriate, to refer patients directly to these centres without requiring a prior consultation with a senior doctor.

More surgical hubs will be created to focus on common, less complex procedures, such as cataract surgeries and some orthopaedic work. These hubs are ring-fenced from other parts of the hospital to ensure operating theatre time is not lost if there are emergency cases.

The new plan says that one million unnecessary appointments per year will be freed up for patients who need them. This will be made possible by abolishing automatic review appointments after treatment and only offering them to patients who request them.

Officials say the extra appointments created will be in addition to what was promised by Labour before the election. That pledge was for 40,000 more appointments per week, or two million a year, to be created within the first year.

This compares with a normal annual total of more than 100 million appointments. Ministers have confirmed that work on this pledge began soon after the election.

Plans for patients to use the NHS App to monitor and book consultations and test results, with greater control over where they are treated, have already been announced. The goal is to make the system more efficient and reduce the number of missed appointments.

NHS England Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: "The radical reforms in this plan will not only allow us to deliver millions more tests, appointments, and operations, but do things differently too – boosting convenience and putting more power in the hands of patients, especially through the NHS app."

The overall waiting list for NHS appointments, procedures, and surgeries in England stands at just under 7.5 million.

No target level has been set in the plan, but ministers say that the waiting list will inevitably fall as measures to meet the 18-week benchmark take effect.

The funding for NHS England has been set for the upcoming year, but the additional money needed to support extra activity in hospitals will be outlined in the government's spending review later this year.

Professor Phil Banfield, chair of the BMA Council, expressed doubt over whether the plan could be delivered.

"Doctors have been just as frustrated as their patients by the lack of facilities to deliver care and want to bring waiting lists down," he said.

"But the reality is that without the workforce to meet constantly rising demand, we will not see the progress we all hope for."

Ed Argar, Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, said it was the Conservatives who "revolutionised" the diagnostic process by rolling out 160 Community Diagnostic Centres.

He said the government's plan is "another announcement that makes clear after 14 years in opposition, the Labour Party have no new ideas of their own for the NHS – despite promising change".

"Patients cannot wait for more dither and delay from the government who promised so much, and so far have delivered so little," he said.

Liberal Democrat MP and health spokesperson Helen Morgan said the plan for waiting lists could risk "putting hip replacements over heart attacks", unless the "crises" in emergency and social care were addressed.

Ex-prison officer jailed over sex with inmate

PA Media Linda De Sousa Abreu arrives at Isleworth Crown Court in JulyPA Media
Linda De Sousa Abreu has been jailed for 15 months

A former HMP Wandsworth prison officer who was filmed having sex with an inmate has been jailed for 15 months.

Linda De Sousa Abreu was identified by senior prison staff after the clip was shared online and quickly went viral.

Judge Martin Edmunds KC said Abreu compromised her role as a prison officer, undermined discipline in the prison and put officers at increased risk.

Abreu, who was arrested at Heathrow Airport before attempting to board a flight to Madrid with her father, previously pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office.

The court was also told that a further recording of her performing a sex act with the same inmate was found on her prison-issue body-worn camera - and Abreu had admitted to having sex with that prisoner on an additional occasion.

The judge said the video which went viral was therefore not isolated and was part of repeated behaviour.

Isleworth Crown Court heard a partial written statement from the governor of Wandsworth Prison, Andrew Davy, in which he said Abreu's actions had taken "less than a day" to undo the many years of work on behalf of female staff in all-male prisons.

He said many female staff at Wandsworth report an increase in being "hit-on" by prisoners and are now "considered fair game".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Taxi driver who stoked Southport riots jailed

Merseyside Police Andfrew McIntyre mugshotMerseyside Police
Andrew McIntyre was involved in the most "sinister aspect" of the July disturbances, the court was told

A taxi driver whose social media posts were a "catalyst" for riots which broke out after three girls were stabbed at a dance class in Southport has been jailed seven and a half years.

Andrew McIntyre, 39, set up a Telegram channel called "Southport Wake Up" in the immediate aftermath of the knife attack in the Merseyside town on 29 July last year, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said the case involved a "sinister aspect" of violence which took place in parts of the UK last summer.

McIntyre, of Rufford, near Ormskirk, Lancashire, had admitted encouraging violent disorder and possession of a knife in an earlier hearing.

The Southport Wake Up channel was identified by the group Hope Not Hate as a "catalyst for and origin of a series of posts" concerning incidents of violence, Mr Gibson said.

The court heard McIntyre shared content from a site called Tommy Robinson/Britain First/For Britain about a protest in Southport on 30 July.

He also posted a map after adding: "Mosque at the top of Hart St."

In a later post he wrote: "Rise Up English Lads. 8pm tomorrow St Luke's Rd Southport."

Hours before violence broke out in Southport on 30 July he posted a "clear threat to police", writing: "Message to All...Stand in our way, even if you're just doing your job...prepare to fall."

The day after the disorder, McIntyre posted: "Well done last night lads, to all you heavy hitters.

"Are you ready for Round 2???... Liverpool Mosque, West Derby Road, Friday 8pm."

Mein Kampf

McIntyre was working as a taxi driver when he was intercepted and arrested by police in Liverpool on 8 August, Mr Gibson said.

A knife was found hidden in the boot of his car and when his home was searched officers found weapons and a copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf, the court heard.

The defendant followed proceedings on a videolink from HMP Liverpool, where he has been remanded in custody, while his parents looked on from the public gallery of the courtroom.

Julian Nutter, defending, said: "His parents are horrified that he is in this predicament.

"He is a man of previous good character and has never come to the attention of the police before."

Among character references were letters to Judge Neil Flewitt KC from McIntyre's parents and a family friend, the court heard.

Mr Nutter said: "Those who have spoken on his behalf describe somebody who is very different from what we have heard from the prosecution about him."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

Siddiq refers herself for probe by standards adviser

Getty Images Tulip Siddiq speaking at an event in 2023Getty Images

Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq has referred herself to the PM's standards adviser after controversy over her links to her aunt's political movement in Bangladesh.

It comes after the minister was named last month in an investigation into claims her family embezzled infrastructure funding in the country.

Siddiq had faced growing calls for an investigation after reports in recent days she had lived in London properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as Bangladeshi prime minister in August.

In her letter to Sir Laurie Magnus, who polices standards among government ministers, she said: "I am clear that I have done nothing wrong."

In the letter sent on Monday, she wrote: "In recent weeks I have been the subject of media reporting, much of it inaccurate, about my financial affairs and my family's links to the former government of Bangladesh."

She said she had done nothing wrong, adding: "However, for the avoidance of doubt, I would like you to independently establish the facts about these matters.

"I will obviously ensure you have all the information you need to do this."

Sir Laurie, appointed in 2022, is responsible for advising Sir Keir Starmer on whether ministers are complying with government conduct rules.

These include stipulations about registering and declaring their financial interests, as well as broader guidelines on how they should behave as holders of public office.

News of her request was revealed by Sir Keir during a press conference on healthcare reform earlier.

The prime minister told reporters he had confidence in his minister, who as Economic Secretary to the Treasury is responsible for tackling economic crime, money laundering and illicit finance.

He added she had "acted entirely properly" by referring herself for investigation.

It is understood Siddiq has cancelled plans to join a government delegation to China this week, with a Labour source adding she wanted to be in the UK so she is "available to assist" Sir Laurie.

Bangladesh probe

The decision to write to the standards adviser comes after reports she had lived in properties linked to political supporters of her aunt's government.

Last month Siddiq was named in an investigation into claims Sheikh Hasina and her family embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending in Bangladesh.

The investigation is based on a series of allegations made by Bobby Hajjaj, a senior political opponent of Hasina.

Court documents seen by the BBC show Hajjaj has accused Siddiq of helping to broker a deal with Russia in 2013 that overinflated the price of a new nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.

It is claimed that the deal inflated the price of the plant by £1bn, according to the documents - 30% of which was allegedly distributed to Siddiq and other family members via a complex network of banks and overseas companies.

A source close to Siddiq has previously described the allegations as "trumped up" and designed to damage her aunt, while Downing Street has said Siddiq denies any involvement in the claims accusing her of involvement in embezzlement.

Siddiq was elected MP for Hampstead and Highgate in 2015, the north London constituency neighbouring Sir Keir's seat of Holborn and St Pancras.

Hasina, who was in charge of Bangladesh for more than 20 years, was seen as an autocrat whose government ruthlessly clamped down on dissent.

Since fleeing the country Hasina has been accused of multiple crimes by the new Bangladeshi government.

Conservative shadow minister Matt Vickers said there were "clear questions" for Ms Siddiq to answer about allegations made about her.

"She must be held to the same standards as other ministers in his government, indications so far show that that may not be the case," he added.

French magazine Charlie Hebdo marks decade since deadly gun attack with special issue

Getty Images Partial picture of the Charlie Hebdo special edition. Yellow cover, depicting a man reading the magazine (with the same cover of this issue)Getty Images

Exactly 10 years after the jihadist gun-attack that killed most of its editorial staff, France's Charlie Hebdo has put out a special issue to show its cause is still kicking.

Things changed for France on 7 January 2015, marking in bloodshed the end of all wilful naivety about the threat of militant Islamism.

Brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi burst into a meeting at the Paris office of the satirical weekly, murdering its star cartoonists Cabu, Wolinski, Charb and Tignous.

Overall, 12 people were killed by the brothers, including a Muslim policeman on duty outside. Two days later they were cornered and shot dead by police at a sign-making business near Charles-de-Gaulle airport.

That same day saw Amedy Coulibaly – a one-time prison associate of Cherif – kill four Jews in a synchronised hostage-taking at a supermarket in eastern Paris. Coulibaly – who was then shot dead by police – had killed a policewoman the day before.

A decade on, Charlie Hebdo continues to bring out a weekly edition and has a circulation (print and online combined) of around 50,000.

It does so from an office whose whereabouts are kept secret, and with staff who are protected by bodyguards.

But in an editorial in Tuesday's memorial edition, the paper's main shareholder said its spirit of ribald anti-religious irreverence was still very much alive.

"The desire to laugh will never disappear," said Laurent Saurisseau – also known as Riss – a cartoonist who survived the 7 January attack with a bullet in the shoulder.

"Satire has one virtue that has got us through these tragic years – optimism. If people want to laugh, it is because they want to live.

"Laughter, irony and caricature are all manifestations of optimism," he wrote.

Also in the 32-page special are the 40 winning entries in a cartoon competition on the theme of "Laughing at God".

One contains the image of a cartoonist asking himself: "Is it okay to draw a picture of a man drawing a picture of a man drawing a picture of Muhammed?"

The Charlie Hebdo and Hypercacher attacks appear now as the overture to a grim and deadly period in modern France, during which – for a time – fear of jihadist terrorism became part of daily life.

In November 2015, there followed gun attacks at the Bataclan theatre and nearby bars in Paris. In the following July, 86 people were killed on the promenade in Nice.

Some 300 French people have died in Islamist attacks in the last decade.

Today the frequency has fallen sharply, and the defeat of the Islamic State group means there is no longer a support base in the Middle East.

But the killer individual, self-radicalised over the Internet, remains a constant threat in France as elsewhere.

The original pretext for the Charlie Hebdo murders – caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad – are now strictly off-limits to publications everywhere.

In 2020, a French teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded outside his school by a jihadist after he showed one of the Charlie cartoons in a discussion over freedom of speech.

And this week the trial opens in Paris of a Pakistani man who – a short time before Paty's murder – seriously injured two people with a butcher's cleaver at the Paris offices he thought were still being used by Charlie-Hebdo (in fact they had long since moved).

So as with every anniversary since 2015, the question once again being asked in France is: what - if anything - has changed? And what - if anything - survives of the great outpouring of international support, whose clarion call in the days after the murders was Je suis Charlie?

That was when a march of two million people through the centre of Paris was joined by heads of state and government from countries all over the world at the invitation of then President François Hollande.

Today, pessimists say the battle is over and lost. The chances of a humorous newspaper ever taking up the cudgel against Islam – in the way that Charlie Hebdo used regularly and scabrously to do against Christianity and Judaism – are zero.

Worse, for these people, is that parts of the political left in France are also now clearly distancing themselves from Charlie Hebdo, accusing it of becoming overly anti-Islam and adopting positions from the far-right.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, who leads the France Unbowed party, has accused the weekly of being a "bag-carrier for (right-wing magazine) Valeurs Actuels", and the Greens' Sandrine Rousseau said Charlie Hebdo was "misogynistic and at times racist".

This has in turn led to accusations aimed at the far-left that it has betrayed the free-speech spirit of Je suis Charlie in order to curry electoral support among French Muslims.

But speaking in the run-up to the anniversary, Riss – who counted the dead among his greatest friends and says he does not go through a day without reliving the moment of the attack – refused to renounce hope.

"I think [the Charlie spirit] is anchored more deeply in society than one might think. When you talk to people, you can see it's very much alive. It's a mistake to think it's all disappeared.

"It is part of our collective memory."

Starmer attacks those 'spreading lies' on grooming gangs as he hits back at Musk

PA Media Sir Keir StarmerPA Media

The prime minister has attacked politicians and activists "spreading lies and misinformation" over grooming gangs.

It comes after multi-billionaire Elon Musk accused Sir Keir Starmer of being "complicit in the rape of Britain" during his tenure as director of public prosecutions (DPP) for failing to tackle grooming gangs.

Senior Conservatives and Reform UK MPs have also spent the week calling for a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation.

But Sir Keir said: "Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims, they're interested in themselves."

He said the online debate had "crossed a line", resulting in threats against MPs, including Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips.

Sir Keir went on to accuse the Tories of "jumping on a bandwagon" to gain attention.

Conservative MPs were "amplifying what the far-right is saying" on child sexual abuse after failing to act "for 14 long years", he added.

Describing child sexual exploitation as "utterly sickening", Sir Keir defended his record in office as DPP - saying he tackled the issue "head on".

Sir Keir did not name any of those he thought were spreading lies, but his comments followed a series of questions about Musk.

Over the past week, the tech-entrepreneur has attacked the Labour government over the issue, using his platform on his social media site X.

Musk accused Philips of being a "rape genocide apologist" and calling for her and Sir Keir be jailed.

On Monday, Musk started a poll asking X users to vote on whether "America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government".

Six-month-old girl dies after car park crash

Family handout Baby Sophia Kelemen is wearing a white blouse/dress with embroidered detailing and a green waistcoat with red flowers and red embroidered edging. She is wearing a white ruffled hairband.Family handout
Police said Sophia Kelemen died the day after being taken to hospital

A six-month-old baby has died following a crash in a multi-storey car park in Tenby, police said.

Sophia Kelemen, from Leigh, Greater Manchester, was taken to hospital following the collision in Pembrokeshire on Thursday, 2 January but died the following day.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: "Our thoughts remain with her family at this difficult time. They are being supported by specially trained officers."

Flaviu Naghi, 33, from Wigan, is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on 7 February charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving without a license and without insurance.

A police spokesperson said he was also arrested on suspicion of drink driving and drug driving.

The incident happened on the ground floor of a multi-storey car park in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, police said.

They urged people not to speculate on the circumstances due to the live investigation underway.

RuPaul says his heart is broken after The Vivienne's death

Getty Images The Vivienne and RuPaul attend the Pink Ribbon Cutting with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7 RuPaul's Los Angeles DragCon at Los Angeles Convention Center on May 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.Getty Images

RuPaul has said his heart is "broken" after the death of James Lee Williams, better known as drag queen The Vivienne.

"I join the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne, an incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being," he wrote on Instagram.

The Vivienne, who was 32 and won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019, died over the weekend.

Tributes have been pouring in to the drag star on social media, with the show saying they were "deeply saddened" by the news.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Starmer's NHS waiting list plan - will it work?

Getty Images Two hands in surgical gloves with a pair of scissors being handed over in an operating theatre setting.Getty Images

Tackling the NHS backlog is one of the government's key six missions - and now Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he has the plan to end it.

But what's remarkable from this new year waiting list announcement is just how few levers ministers seem to have to pull.

Much of this plan is about building on work that is already under way in England – and there are reasons why these policies have only had limited impact so far.

More surgical and diagnostic hubs are being promised in the community – this builds on a network that started being rolled out before the pandemic.

They allow more care to be provided outside of hospitals and the government wants to see not just more of them but longer opening hours too. But, of course, the key limiting factor is having the staff available to deliver the treatment – something the British Medical Association is pointing out.

Sir Keir also wants to make it easier for patients to exercise choice over where they go for treatment – the idea is that this allows them to shop around and go where waiting lists are shortest.

This policy dates back even further as it was introduced by the Blair government and subsequently championed by the Tories when they were in power. Despite that only around a quarter of patients report being offered a choice. And even if this was to change, questions remain about how many patients will be prepared to travel to get treatment elsewhere.

Another initiative, which has been pursued for more than two decades, is getting the independent sector to ease the burden on the NHS. The private sector says it has capacity to see 30% more NHS patients than it currently does.

But this policy comes with costs – the private sector tends to only take on the most straightforward procedures, which can deprive NHS hospitals of vital income as well as doctors and nurses of vital training opportunities.

Hitting 18-week target a key goal

This is not to say that the backlog will not be reduced. It would be a surprise if it did not start to fall in the coming months – most forecasts have pinpointed this spring as the potential turning point.

But the ultimate goal of getting the NHS back to hitting the 18-week target by the end of this parliament still remains a big ask.

That would mean 92% of patients being seen within 18 weeks – something that has not been achieved since 2015. Currently fewer than 60% are.

The Blair government made big strides in the early 2000s, but that was underpinned by significant increases in the NHS budget – between 6-7% a year on top of inflation.

Increases on that scale seem very unlikely given the state of public finances – although we will have to wait until the spring for the spending review to find out what budget will be set aside for the NHS in the coming years.

Another concern, being voiced by some, is that with so much emphasis placed on waiting lists there is a risk other areas may end up neglected as health chiefs focus so much of their attention on this.

"The 18-week target should not be taken as the sole measure of how the NHS is faring," says Sarah Woolnough, head of the King's Fund think tank. "Equally important to people are how long they are waiting for a GP appointment or an ambulance, for mental health care and other services."

In short, any progress that is made on the waiting list could easily get lost if the wheels come off elsewhere.

Starmer attacks spread of 'lies' on grooming gangs as he hits back at Musk

PA Media Sir Keir StarmerPA Media

The prime minister has attacked politicians and activists "spreading lies and misinformation" over grooming gangs.

It comes after multi-billionaire Elon Musk accused Sir Keir Starmer of being "complicit in the rape of Britain" during his tenure as director of public prosecutions (DPP) for failing to tackle grooming gangs.

Senior Conservatives and Reform UK MPs have also spent the week calling for a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation.

But Sir Keir said: "Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims, they're interested in themselves."

He said the online debate had "crossed a line", resulting in threats against MPs, including Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips.

Sir Keir went on to accuse the Tories of "jumping on a bandwagon" to gain attention.

Conservative MPs were "amplifying what the far-right is saying" on child sexual abuse after failing to act "for 14 long years", he added.

Describing child sexual exploitation as "utterly sickening", Sir Keir defended his record in office as DPP - saying he tackled the issue "head on".

Sir Keir did not name any of those he thought were spreading lies, but his comments followed a series of questions about Musk.

Over the past week, the tech-entrepreneur has attacked the Labour government over the issue, using his platform on his social media site X.

Musk accused Philips of being a "rape genocide apologist" and calling for her and Sir Keir be jailed.

On Monday, Musk started a poll asking X users to vote on whether "America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government".

Six-month-old baby dies after car park crash

Family handout Baby Sophia Kelemen is wearing a white blouse/dress with embroidered detailing and a green waistcoat with red flowers and red embroidered edging. She is wearing a white ruffled hairband.Family handout
Police said Sophia Kelemen died the day after being taken to hospital

A six-month-old baby has died following a crash in a multi-storey car park in Tenby, police said.

Sophia Kelemen, from Leigh, Greater Manchester, was taken to hospital following the collision in Pembrokeshire on Thursday, 2 January but died the following day.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: "Our thoughts remain with her family at this difficult time. They are being supported by specially trained officers."

Flaviu Naghi, 33, from Wigan, is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on 7 February charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving without a license and without insurance.

A police spokesperson said he was also arrested on suspicion of drink driving and drug driving.

The incident happened on the ground floor of a multi-storey car park in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, police said.

They urged people not to speculate on the circumstances due to the live investigation underway.

'Second chance at life' after UK's first liver transplant for advanced bowel cancer

Phil Tragen/The Christie/PA Media Bianca Perea with long brown hair smiling wearing a beige long sleeved t-shirtPhil Tragen/The Christie/PA Media
Bianca Perea said she is "so grateful" to the family who agreed to donate their loved one's liver

The first patient in the UK with advanced bowel cancer to receive a liver transplant said she had been given "a second chance at life".

Bianca Perea, a 32-year-old trainee lawyer from Wigan in Greater Manchester, had the pioneering operation in the summer of 2024.

Her liver transplant was judged to be a huge success, meaning that following other treatments including targeted drug therapy, chemotherapy and surgery, Ms Perea no longer has any signs of cancer.

She said: "To go from being told I'd only have a short time to live to now being cancer-free is the greatest gift."

Ms Perea was 29 when she first visited her GP after feeling constipated and bloated.

After being referred to hospital for tests, she was given the devastating news in November 2021 that she had stage four bowel cancer, which had spread to all eight segments of her liver.

She said: "I actually didn't have really bad symptoms at all. I'd noticed a change in my bowel habits and also bloating and a little bit of pain in my stomach."

Phil Tragen/The Christie/PA Media Bianca Perea with long brown hair smiling wearing a beige long sleeved t-shirt cuddling her brown Labrador dog as they sit on a cream sofaPhil Tragen/The Christie/PA Media
Ms Perea said she was walking her dogs within weeks of her transplant

Ms Perea was referred to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust's local treatment centre in Wigan in early December 2021.

There, she had 37 rounds of a targeted drug called panitumumab as well as chemotherapy for two-and-a-half years.

She had an excellent response to the treatment, which meant she could have surgery in May 2023 to remove her bowel tumour.

However, scans showed she still had tumours in her liver, which could not be removed.

Nevertheless, because her response to chemotherapy had been so good, and her bowel cancer was seemingly gone, doctors began to consider a liver transplant.

'Positive outcome'

Ms Perea was added to the transplant list in February 2024.

A match was found and she received her new liver at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

She said: "Within four weeks of going under the knife, I was able to drive and walk the family dogs, it was really quite incredible.

"I've been given a second chance at life and I'm going to grab it with both hands. I am so grateful to the family who agreed to donate their loved one's liver."

She added it was "a blessing" that her donor has not only helped her, but been a part of medical history.

She said she was looking forward to going on holiday this year and was working on improving her fitness.

"My liver is doing really well," she said.

"I get tests on that, and I've just had my second scan and that's all clear, so it's really good."

Dr Kalena Marti with long blond hair wearing a dark brown top with a pattern of white trumpets with the views of Salford Quays in the background
Dr Kalena Marti said Perea's positive outcome was "excellent news"

Dr Kalena Marti, who was Ms Perea's oncologist at The Christie, said: "To see that Bianca has had such a positive outcome is wonderful.

"When we looked at the tumour cells in her liver after it had been removed, they weren't active.

"This is excellent news, and we hope this means that the cancer won't come back."

She added that while liver transplants "won't be an option for everybody", the success of Ms Perea's treatment offered "more hope" to others.

Dr Marti added: "Advanced bowel cancer is complex and there are lots of different types of the disease, so what works for one person might not work for another.

"As a result, it's important we continue to develop new treatments."

Dr Ian Rowe, honorary consultant hepatologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "I'm delighted Bianca has responded so well to the treatment and that she is now cancer-free.

"We are, of course, indebted to the family of the organ donor – as is made clear with Bianca's case, organ donation saves lives."

He also sounded a cautionary note, however.

"I think hope is important but the reality is this will be a treatment for a small proportion of people.

"For those people it will be the right thing, and we think it will work well.

"The number of people who have been transplanted like this is still very small internationally so we are all still learning about what those rules should be.

"In time they will change and we will learn which patients will do better so we can pick those people better."

An NHS Blood and Transplant spokesman said: "The waiting list for an organ transplant is the highest it has been in a decade."

He said organ donation "saves lives" and described donors and their families as "truly inspirational".

He said he hoped "the story of the donation that changed Bianca's life will inspire people to confirm their decision to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register - it means your family will be certain that you want to be an organ donor."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Zendaya engagement rumours and other Golden Globe highlights

Getty Images Zendaya smiling on the red carpet of the Golden Globes Getty Images
Zendaya was sporting a diamond ring on her engagement ring finger

The Golden Globes were a night to celebrate film, TV, and... love.

Last year, Timotheé Chalamet sent the internet into a frenzy as he piled on the PDA with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner at the ceremony, and this year it was date night again as the pair cosied up throughout the evening.

There was even more love in the air as A Different Man star Sebastian Stan is now officially officially dating Annabelle Wallis. He shouted out that he loved her during his acceptance speech for best actor in a musical or comedy film.

And if that isn't enough romance for you then Zendaya has stolen the show with rumours of a potential engagement. Here's more on that and eight other highlights from the awards ceremony that you may have missed.

1. Is Zendaya engaged?

Getty Images Zendaya on the red carpet of The Golden Globes Getty Images
Zendaya has been dating Spiderman actor Tom Holland since 2021

Zendaya brought her usual effortlessly sleek style to the red carpet but the internet seemed less interested in her burnt orange gown and more about what was on her finger.

The Challengers star was sporting a large diamond ring on the fourth finger of her left hand and some thought it might be a sign that she's engaged.

The 28-year-old has been dating Spider-Man actor Tom Holland for the past four years.

Fans immediately started speculating about their possible engagement, but one pointed out on X: "They're very protective about their relationship, so would she actually wear the ring on the red carpet?"

2. Nikki Glaser is a one-woman fashion show

Getty Images Nikki Glaser wearing a pope's hatGetty Images
Nikki Glaser managed to change into 10 different outfits throughout the evening

If you're hosting the Golden Globes, naturally you've got to look the part. For Nikki Glaser that meant a whopping a 10 dresses across the three hour ceremony.

The comedian started off the night wearing a strapless metallic dress on the red carpet before switching to a halter neck silver sequined gown to kick the ceremony off.

The 40-year-old seemed to use every advert break across the show to switch into something different backstage and some of her other outfits included a sparkly purple dress, a high-slit red gown and a tight-fitting black plunge number.

Our personal favourite outfit? A Wicked-inspired bright pink sequined dress that she wore with a pope's hat as she sang "you're going to be pope-ular".

3. What's it like at The Beverly Hilton?

Getty Images Selena Gomez and Benny BlancoGetty Images
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco announced their engagement in December

If you even go to the bathroom at The Beverly Hilton, you're likely to run into a celebrity.

Turn the corner, bam - Melissa McCarthy. Turn another - Jean Smart and the rest of the cast of Hacks.

The hotel in the heart of swanky Beverly Hills had a large security perimeter with barriers, armed guards and patrols, but once a person is inside - it's like a playground for Hollywood's A-list.

Some hunted for drinks, others were wrangled by publicists to interviews and photo shoots with eager journalists.

Roaming around the hotel, Selena Gomez, hot off her film Emilia Pérez winning four awards, was seen with her new fiancé Benny Blanco. He kissed her shoulder as he trailed behind her in an intimate moment.

4. A message to Japanese actors

Getty Images Tadanobu Asano, Anna Sawai, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Cosmo Jarvis on the red carpet at the Golden Globes Getty Images
Tadanobu Asano, Anna Sawai, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Cosmo Jarvis posed with their awards on the carpet

Shōgun, a series set in 17th century Japan, was a big winner at the Globes, taking home four awards.

Star Hiroyuki Sanada won best male actor in a drama TV series and backstage told the BBC that he hopes the show and their wins could "could break the wall of language" and open "doors much wider" not only for Japanese actors and projects but those across the globe.

His co-star Tadanobu Asano won best male supporting actor in a TV series and clearly shocked, jumped out of his seat and, in Japanese custom, bowed repeatedly - first to those at his table then everyone in the audience and then to the cameras, which had panned to him.

"Wow!" he said when handed the award on stage. He acknowledged that he's a new talent in the US and started off by introducing himself to the crowd.

"Maybe you don't know me, so I'm an actor from Japan and my name is Tadanobu Asano," he said as the crowd laughed.

"I'm very happy!" he shouted through excited laughter, concluding his acceptance speech.

Backstage, he said his message to other Japanese actors: "If I can do this, anyone can."

5. Colin Farrell has fond memories of Andrew Scott

Getty Images Colin FarrellGetty Images
Irish actor Colin Farrell spoke of his friendship with Andrew Scott while accepting his award

Irish actor Colin Farrell picked up his third Golden Globe, for playing the Batman villain in the HBO series Penguin.

Accepting his speech he mentioned some of the other nominees in his category including fellow Irishman Andrew Scott.

He recalled their first movie together, Drinking Crude, and said: "[Andrew] who I did my first film with 25, 30 years ago. You can't even find it on Betamax. It doesn't exist. But we go back that far."

Getty Images Andrew ScottGetty Images
Andrew Scott was nominated for Ripley

He added to Scottish actor Richard Gadd, whose experience of stalking and sexual assault inspired the Netflix hit series Baby Reindeer, that "you broke my heart with your work this year".

In his speech, Farrell also spoke about the three hours it took to be fitted with prosthetics to make him the bloated villain in Penguin.

"In the morning, I drank black coffee, listened to 80s music, and I became a canvas for that team's brilliance."

Farrell also said: "Thank you for employing me. And yeah, I guess it's prosthetics from here on out."

Backstage, Mr Farrell acknowledged his lengthy Hollywood career and said despite his win, "I certainly don't consider myself at the top of any pile".

He said after his nearly 30 years acting, he doesn't feel a sense of pride, but rather, just feels "very grateful".

7. Wicked stars try to speak Gen Z

Getty Images Jeff Goldblum and Michelle YeohGetty Images
Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh said they had no idea what 'zaddy' meant

We've all been holding space for Wicked this year and Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum were providing us with our Wizard of Oz fix in classic boomer style.

"People have been calling me Zaddy but I don't know what that means," Goldblum said while Yeoh added that she was just as confused by people telling her that she's been "serving mother".

Despite being clueless to the meaning of the Gen Z language and looking even more baffled as Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande tried to explain the meaning behind these words, they both said they love it.

"Let's see who ate," Goldblum said as he introduced the nominees for a category.

Getty Images Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Marc E. Platt, Jon M. ChuGetty Images
The cast of Wicked spoke to the BBC backstage

Backstage the cast of Wicked spoke to the BBC about whether there was a future for the Land of Oz in a TV series.

The film's producer Marc Platt joked that the film "is already a show" - on Broadway. Beyond that, though, he said: "It's hard to predict."

Asked by the BBC about the film transcending into a culture phenomenon with countless memes and viral clips, Platt said it speaks to the "timeless" material the film is based on.

"When something becomes a cultural phenomenon, you can't really predict that. It's very exhilarating," he said.

8. Elton's eye sight 'not as bad as it seems'

Getty Images Elton John and Brandi Carlile presenting an awardGetty Images
Sir Elton cheered as the award for best original film score went to Challengers

Sir Elton John joked about his sight loss as he presented the award for best original film score with Brandi Carlile, who he sang the track Never Too Late with

The 77-year-old singer revealed in September that his vision has been affected in his right eye after contracting an infection in the summer.

In December he said he had been unable to watch his own musical, The Devil Wears Prada, due to the infection.

But, on stage he told the audience: "There has been a lot of stories going around about my regressive eyesight, and I just want to reassure everyone it is not as bad as it seems."

"I'm so pleased to be here with my co-host, Rihanna," he joked.

Sir Elton cheered as it was announced that US musician Trent Reznor and English composer Atticus Ross won the award for the musical score for erotic tennis film challengers.

9. 'Brazil is celebrating'

Getty Images Fernanda Torres holding the Golden Globe award Getty Images
Fernanda Torres won best female actor and beat Hollywood heavyweights like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman

Fernanda Torres's surprise win for best drama actress in the Brazilian political thriller I'm Still Here even surprised her.

She called the win over Hollywood heavyweights - including Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet - both "strange" and "weird".

"I never thought I would win", she said, because there were "so many great performances in English, so this tells so much about the difference in cinema nowadays."

She was asked about the celebrations happening back in her home country of Brazil, with one reporter remarking that it was like she'd won the country the World Cup.

"It is something very patriotic that's happening in Brazil with this film," she said, noting the country was "very happy" thanks to the Golden Globes.

In her acceptance speech she noted that the only other Brazilian actor to be nominated at the Globes was her mother, Fernanda Montenegro.

10. 'Being in your 60s is a golden age'

Getty Images Jodie Foster at Golden GlobesGetty Images
Jodie Foster told the BBC that being in your 60s feels like the golden age

Several winning actresses tackled the topic of age at the awards.

Demi Moore, 62, noted in her acceptance speech for best film actress in The Substance that she'd spent much of her career believing that while she was successful, she would never receive any major Hollywood accolades.

She said the award reflected the message of the film, a body horror about a woman who trades her body for a younger, more beautiful version of herself.

"I'll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting is in those moments when we don't think we're smart enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or successful enough, or basically just not enough," Moore said.

"I had a woman say to me, just know you will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.

After winning her award, she told journalists backstage about how many women spend much of their lives as caretakers and don't get to spend their energy outward. And now, at 62, she is and "it feels really damn good".

Jodie Foster, who is the same age as Moore, won the award for best actress in a limited series and said the 60s are a "golden age" because there's like "a hormone that happens when suddenly you go, 'Oh, I don't really care about all the stupid things anymore".

She called this era the "most contented moment in my career."

Man charged with aiding Daniel Khalife after escape

PA Media Daniel Khalife after being arrested following his prison escapePA Media
Daniel Khalife was found and arrested four days after his prison escape in 2023

A 25-year-old man has been charged with assisting Daniel Khalife after he escaped from Wandsworth Prison in September 2023.

The Metropolitan Police said Imran Chowdhury, from Chingford, east London, was arrested in January 2024, and charged in December.

Mr Chowdhury is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, the force added.

Khalife escaped by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery van.

The former British army soldier was arrested in London following a four-day man-hunt.

In November 2024, Khalife was found guilty of his prison escape as well as for spying for Iran.

A month after Mr Chowdhury was arrested, a 25-year old woman was also arrested in east London in relation to assisting Khalife after his escape.

On Monday, the Met Police said no further action has been taken against her.

More NHS patients to be treated in private clinics as PM seeks to reduce backlog

PA Media The back of a staff member in scrubs walking down a hall in a ward at Ealing Hospital in LondonPA Media

The government has unveiled a new pledge to cut the list of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment in England by nearly half a million over the next year.

The plan, to be announced on Monday, will expand access to Community Diagnostic Centres and surgical hubs, alongside reforms designed to enhance patient choice and tackle inefficiencies.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would create millions more appointments and "deliver on our promise to end the backlogs".

The British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed the plan but was sceptical about whether it could be delivered.

The government has billed the plan as an important milestone in a broader effort to reduce the number of people enduring long waits for appointments, procedures and surgeries.

Sir Keir added: "Greater choice and convenience for patients. Staff once again able to give the standard of care they desperately want to."

A key Labour election pledge, now included in the government's six main priorities, is for 92% of patients to begin treatment or be given the all-clear within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

This has been an official NHS target for some time, but has not been met since 2015. Currently, only 59% of patients meet the 18-week target, with three million people waiting longer.

The latest promise is to reach 65% by March 2026, which, according to the government, would reduce the backlog by more than 450,000.

A network of Community Diagnostic Centres, which provide appointments such as scans and endoscopies in local neighbourhoods, will extend their opening hours to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

The aim is to get patients treated more quickly, closer to home and without relying on hospitals. Officials say these centres will provide up to half a million extra appointments each year.

GPs will also be able, where appropriate, to refer patients directly to these centres without requiring a prior consultation with a senior doctor.

More surgical hubs will be created to focus on common, less complex procedures, such as cataract surgeries and some orthopaedic work. These hubs are ring-fenced from other parts of the hospital to ensure operating theatre time is not lost if there are emergency cases.

The new plan says that one million unnecessary appointments per year will be freed up for patients who need them. This will be made possible by abolishing automatic review appointments after treatment and only offering them to patients who request them.

Officials say the extra appointments created will be in addition to what was promised by Labour before the election. That pledge was for 40,000 more appointments per week, or two million a year, to be created within the first year.

This compares with a normal annual total of more than 100 million appointments. Ministers have confirmed that work on this pledge began soon after the election.

Plans for patients to use the NHS App to monitor and book consultations and test results, with greater control over where they are treated, have already been announced. The goal is to make the system more efficient and reduce the number of missed appointments.

NHS England Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: "The radical reforms in this plan will not only allow us to deliver millions more tests, appointments, and operations, but do things differently too – boosting convenience and putting more power in the hands of patients, especially through the NHS app."

The overall waiting list for NHS appointments, procedures, and surgeries in England stands at just under 7.5 million.

No target level has been set in the plan, but ministers say that the waiting list will inevitably fall as measures to meet the 18-week benchmark take effect.

The funding for NHS England has been set for the upcoming year, but the additional money needed to support extra activity in hospitals will be outlined in the government's spending review later this year.

Professor Phil Banfield, chair of the BMA Council, expressed doubt over whether the plan could be delivered.

"Doctors have been just as frustrated as their patients by the lack of facilities to deliver care and want to bring waiting lists down," he said.

"But the reality is that without the workforce to meet constantly rising demand, we will not see the progress we all hope for."

Ed Argar, Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, said it was the Conservatives who "revolutionised" the diagnostic process by rolling out 160 Community Diagnostic Centres.

He said the government's plan is "another announcement that makes clear after 14 years in opposition, the Labour Party have no new ideas of their own for the NHS – despite promising change".

"Patients cannot wait for more dither and delay from the government who promised so much, and so far have delivered so little," he said.

Liberal Democrat MP and health spokesperson Helen Morgan said the plan for waiting lists could risk "putting hip replacements over heart attacks", unless the "crises" in emergency and social care were addressed.

Ten of the best moments from the Golden Globes ceremony

Getty Images Zendaya smiling on the red carpet of the Golden Globes Getty Images
Zendaya was sporting a diamond ring on her engagement ring finger

The Golden Globes were a night to celebrate film, TV, and... love.

Last year, Timotheé Chalamet sent the internet into a frenzy as he piled on the PDA with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner at the ceremony, and this year it was date night again as the pair cosied up throughout the evening.

There was even more love in the air as A Different Man star Sebastian Stan is now officially officially dating Annabelle Wallis. He shouted out that he loved her during his acceptance speech for best actor in a musical or comedy film.

And if that isn't enough romance for you then Zendaya has stolen the show with rumours of a potential engagement. Here's more on that and eight other highlights from the awards ceremony that you may have missed.

1. Is Zendaya engaged?

Getty Images Zendaya on the red carpet of The Golden Globes Getty Images
Zendaya has been dating Spiderman actor Tom Holland since 2021

Zendaya brought her usual effortlessly sleek style to the red carpet but the internet seemed less interested in her burnt orange gown and more about what was on her finger.

The Challengers star was sporting a large diamond ring on the fourth finger of her left hand and some thought it might be a sign that she's engaged.

The 28-year-old has been dating Spider-Man actor Tom Holland for the past four years.

Fans immediately started speculating about their possible engagement, but one pointed out on X: "They're very protective about their relationship, so would she actually wear the ring on the red carpet?"

2. Nikki Glaser is a one-woman fashion show

Getty Images Nikki Glaser wearing a pope's hatGetty Images
Nikki Glaser managed to change into 10 different outfits throughout the evening

If you're hosting the Golden Globes, naturally you've got to look the part. For Nikki Glaser that meant a whopping a 10 dresses across the three hour ceremony.

The comedian started off the night wearing a strapless metallic dress on the red carpet before switching to a halter neck silver sequined gown to kick the ceremony off.

The 40-year-old seemed to use every advert break across the show to switch into something different backstage and some of her other outfits included a sparkly purple dress, a high-slit red gown and a tight-fitting black plunge number.

Our personal favourite outfit? A Wicked-inspired bright pink sequined dress that she wore with a pope's hat as she sang "you're going to be pope-ular".

3. What's it like at The Beverly Hilton?

Getty Images Selena Gomez and Benny BlancoGetty Images
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco announced their engagement in December

If you even go to the bathroom at The Beverly Hilton, you're likely to run into a celebrity.

Turn the corner, bam - Melissa McCarthy. Turn another - Jean Smart and the rest of the cast of Hacks.

The hotel in the heart of swanky Beverly Hills had a large security perimeter with barriers, armed guards and patrols, but once a person is inside - it's like a playground for Hollywood's A-list.

Some hunted for drinks, others were wrangled by publicists to interviews and photo shoots with eager journalists.

Roaming around the hotel, Selena Gomez, hot off her film Emilia Pérez winning four awards, was seen with her new fiancé Benny Blanco. He kissed her shoulder as he trailed behind her in an intimate moment.

4. A message to Japanese actors

Getty Images Tadanobu Asano, Anna Sawai, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Cosmo Jarvis on the red carpet at the Golden Globes Getty Images
Tadanobu Asano, Anna Sawai, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Cosmo Jarvis posed with their awards on the carpet

Shōgun, a series set in 17th century Japan, was a big winner at the Globes, taking home four awards.

Star Hiroyuki Sanada won best male actor in a drama TV series and backstage told the BBC that he hopes the show and their wins could "could break the wall of language" and open "doors much wider" not only for Japanese actors and projects but those across the globe.

His co-star Tadanobu Asano won best male supporting actor in a TV series and clearly shocked, jumped out of his seat and, in Japanese custom, bowed repeatedly - first to those at his table then everyone in the audience and then to the cameras, which had panned to him.

"Wow!" he said when handed the award on stage. He acknowledged that he's a new talent in the US and started off by introducing himself to the crowd.

"Maybe you don't know me, so I'm an actor from Japan and my name is Tadanobu Asano," he said as the crowd laughed.

"I'm very happy!" he shouted through excited laughter, concluding his acceptance speech.

Backstage, he said his message to other Japanese actors: "If I can do this, anyone can."

5. Colin Farrell has fond memories of Andrew Scott

Getty Images Colin FarrellGetty Images
Irish actor Colin Farrell spoke of his friendship with Andrew Scott while accepting his award

Irish actor Colin Farrell picked up his third Golden Globe, for playing the Batman villain in the HBO series Penguin.

Accepting his speech he mentioned some of the other nominees in his category including fellow Irishman Andrew Scott.

He recalled their first movie together, Drinking Crude, and said: "[Andrew] who I did my first film with 25, 30 years ago. You can't even find it on Betamax. It doesn't exist. But we go back that far."

Getty Images Andrew ScottGetty Images
Andrew Scott was nominated for Ripley

He added to Scottish actor Richard Gadd, whose experience of stalking and sexual assault inspired the Netflix hit series Baby Reindeer, that "you broke my heart with your work this year".

In his speech, Farrell also spoke about the three hours it took to be fitted with prosthetics to make him the bloated villain in Penguin.

"In the morning, I drank black coffee, listened to 80s music, and I became a canvas for that team's brilliance."

Farrell also said: "Thank you for employing me. And yeah, I guess it's prosthetics from here on out."

Backstage, Mr Farrell acknowledged his lengthy Hollywood career and said despite his win, "I certainly don't consider myself at the top of any pile".

He said after his nearly 30 years acting, he doesn't feel a sense of pride, but rather, just feels "very grateful".

7. Wicked stars try to speak Gen Z

Getty Images Jeff Goldblum and Michelle YeohGetty Images
Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh said they had no idea what 'zaddy' meant

We've all been holding space for Wicked this year and Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum were providing us with our Wizard of Oz fix in classic boomer style.

"People have been calling me Zaddy but I don't know what that means," Goldblum said while Yeoh added that she was just as confused by people telling her that she's been "serving mother".

Despite being clueless to the meaning of the Gen Z language and looking even more baffled as Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande tried to explain the meaning behind these words, they both said they love it.

"Let's see who ate," Goldblum said as he introduced the nominees for a category.

Getty Images Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Marc E. Platt, Jon M. ChuGetty Images
The cast of Wicked spoke to the BBC backstage

Backstage the cast of Wicked spoke to the BBC about whether there was a future for the Land of Oz in a TV series.

The film's producer Marc Platt joked that the film "is already a show" - on Broadway. Beyond that, though, he said: "It's hard to predict."

Asked by the BBC about the film transcending into a culture phenomenon with countless memes and viral clips, Platt said it speaks to the "timeless" material the film is based on.

"When something becomes a cultural phenomenon, you can't really predict that. It's very exhilarating," he said.

8. Elton's eye sight 'not as bad as it seems'

Getty Images Elton John and Brandi Carlile presenting an awardGetty Images
Sir Elton cheered as the award for best original film score went to Challengers

Sir Elton John joked about his sight loss as he presented the award for best original film score with Brandi Carlile, who he sang the track Never Too Late with

The 77-year-old singer revealed in September that his vision has been affected in his right eye after contracting an infection in the summer.

In December he said he had been unable to watch his own musical, The Devil Wears Prada, due to the infection.

But, on stage he told the audience: "There has been a lot of stories going around about my regressive eyesight, and I just want to reassure everyone it is not as bad as it seems."

"I'm so pleased to be here with my co-host, Rihanna," he joked.

Sir Elton cheered as it was announced that US musician Trent Reznor and English composer Atticus Ross won the award for the musical score for erotic tennis film challengers.

9. 'Brazil is celebrating'

Getty Images Fernanda Torres holding the Golden Globe award Getty Images
Fernanda Torres won best female actor and beat Hollywood heavyweights like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman

Fernanda Torres's surprise win for best drama actress in the Brazilian political thriller I'm Still Here even surprised her.

She called the win over Hollywood heavyweights - including Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet - both "strange" and "weird".

"I never thought I would win", she said, because there were "so many great performances in English, so this tells so much about the difference in cinema nowadays."

She was asked about the celebrations happening back in her home country of Brazil, with one reporter remarking that it was like she'd won the country the World Cup.

"It is something very patriotic that's happening in Brazil with this film," she said, noting the country was "very happy" thanks to the Golden Globes.

In her acceptance speech she noted that the only other Brazilian actor to be nominated at the Globes was her mother, Fernanda Montenegro.

10. 'Being in your 60s is a golden age'

Getty Images Jodie Foster at Golden GlobesGetty Images
Jodie Foster told the BBC that being in your 60s feels like the golden age

Several winning actresses tackled the topic of age at the awards.

Demi Moore, 62, noted in her acceptance speech for best film actress in The Substance that she'd spent much of her career believing that while she was successful, she would never receive any major Hollywood accolades.

She said the award reflected the message of the film, a body horror about a woman who trades her body for a younger, more beautiful version of herself.

"I'll just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting is in those moments when we don't think we're smart enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or successful enough, or basically just not enough," Moore said.

"I had a woman say to me, just know you will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.

After winning her award, she told journalists backstage about how many women spend much of their lives as caretakers and don't get to spend their energy outward. And now, at 62, she is and "it feels really damn good".

Jodie Foster, who is the same age as Moore, won the award for best actress in a limited series and said the 60s are a "golden age" because there's like "a hormone that happens when suddenly you go, 'Oh, I don't really care about all the stupid things anymore".

She called this era the "most contented moment in my career."

How The Vivienne became a breakout star of British drag

Getty Images The Vivienne Getty Images
The Vivienne forged a successful TV career after winning RuPaul's Drag Race UK

Known to the world as The Vivienne, James Lee Williams was one of the biggest breakout stars of British drag, and it all started with an impression of Donald Trump in 2019 on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

Like many of the drag queens on the show, The Vivienne was unapologetically unique and hilariously straight-talking, but she also had something more: pizzazz.

Described by judge Michelle Visage as "the best Snatch Game character in the history of the show", it was The Vivienne's President Trump impression - complete with pouted lips, orange makeup and a floppy blonde wig - in the Snatch Game that won her the show.

That win consolidated The Vivienne's influence in the drag community and her career in the world of TV and musical theatre flourished.

Bold, glitzy and saucy looks

Watch: Moment The Vivienne wins RuPaul's Drag Race UK

Giving one of the most memorable performances in the Snatch Game is no easy feat, but The Vivienne's highlights from the show go far beyond her Trump impression as she was responsible for some of the show's most iconic moments.

Having adopted the drag name The Vivienne because of a love for wearing Vivienne Westwood clothing, her weekly outfits on the catwalk were second to none.

On the show, she described her drag style as being "like a Scouse wife who has come into money, she moved to LA and blew it all and then she's had to move back to Liverpool".

Without a contour line out of place and a perfected walk in stilettos, she wooed the judges with her bold, glitzy and saucy looks.

PA Media The Vivienne dressed as Queen Elizabeth on RuPaul's Drag Race UK PA Media
The Vivienne made everyone laugh with her dance moves dressed as Queen Elizabeth

Her 'Queen Elizabeth walking around Balmoral' outfit, which saw her wear a gold poncho and grey knitted skirt with fluffy ducks attached to it, was one of her most memorable.

Combine that with her doing the floss dance in the outfit and she had viewers, fellow contestants and even RuPaul crying with laughter.

In the final she was described by judge Graham Norton as having "it all". Fellow judge Alan Carr added that she had "trademark wit" and delivered a "comedy masterclass" with her impressions of Trump, Margret Thatcher and Kim Woodburn.

The Vivienne went on to be a contestant in the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in 2022.

Skating to anthems by gay icons

PA Media The Vivienne and Colin GraftonPA Media
The Vivienne finished third on Dancing on Ice in 2023

In January 2023, The Vivienne became the first drag queen to appear on Dancing on Ice and was partnered with American skater Colin Grafton.

She finished in third place behind gymnast Nile Wilson and Joey Essex.

The pair skated to songs by gay icons such as Dolly Parton and Cher and particularly excelled in the movies and musical weeks, whether performing to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or Don't Cry for Me Argentina.

Her jaw-dropping ability to skate perfectly from day one meant not only did she never appear in the bottom two, but she also never appeared lower than third on the leader board.

But it was the week five performance that struck a chord with many as James chose not to perform in drag for the first time, confessing that it made him emotional dancing to Beyonce's Halo "without my armour".

James was widely praised for their decision, with one person on X saying that "'The Vivienne skating as James and not in drag in itself is inspiring".

Channelling the Wicked Witch of the West

Getty Images The Vivienne at the premiere of Wicked Getty Images
The Vivienne has channelled the Wicked Witch of the West on stage and off

Williams starred in a number of theatre shows, most recently in a role that seemed to be the perfect fit - the misunderstood yet strong and compassionate Wicked Witch of the West in the revival of The Wizard of Oz musical.

Starring alongside Aston Merrygold in the UK and Ireland tour, the performer reprised the role in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre last year.

"I don't have many words to say as this is one huge dream," they wrote on Instagram. "Dream big kids."

The Vivienne channelled her Wicked Witch of the West role off-stage in November when she sent heads spinning in her emerald green sequined gown at the European premiere of the Wicked film.

Most recently, she was performing as the Childcatcher on the tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and performed just a week ago in Blackpool.

TV appearances

Getty Images The VivienneGetty Images
The Vivienne went on to be a contestant in the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in 2022

While The Wizard of Oz was The Vivienne's first theatre role, she was no stranger to TV and was able to successfully build a career in television after RuPaul's Drag Race, appearing in a range of programmes including Hunted, Emmerdale and the Great British Sowing Bee.

Over Christmas, The Vivienne appeared on a celebrity special of BBC's Blankety Blank.

In 2020, the Vivienne starred in a six-part series The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood on BBC Three.

The show saw the drag queen document her travels to Los Angeles in order to make a music video and was complete with her classic Northern humour and zingy one-liners.

Not all drag race contestants and winners have been able to build such a successful brand around themselves despite their humour and flawless looks, which is testament to how The Vivienne's personality shone through in all her work.

'Now I've got a crown': The Vivienne reacts to RuPaul's Drag Race UK win in 2019

Canadian PM Trudeau may quit within days, media reports suggest

Reuters Justin Trudeau at US embassy in Ottawa on 3 January 2025Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could announce his resignation within days, according to media reports.

He is considering stepping down as leader of the governing Liberal Party, which would also bring to an end his nine years as prime minister.

It follows months of pressure from his own MPs. Last month, his finance minister quit, citing disagreements on how to deal with Donald Trump's threat to levy US tariffs on Canadian goods.

Opinion polls suggest Trudeau's Liberal Party trails well behind the Conservatives with a general election looming some time this year.

The Globe and Mail reports that he could announce his intention to quit before he meets his party caucus on Wednesday, to avoid the perception that his own MPs forced him out.

Their sources said it was unclear whether Trudeau would leave immediately or stay on as prime minister until a new leader was selected.

And they stressed he had yet to make a final decision on his future.

Whoever takes over will have to lead the party through an election campaign while also navigating a possible trade war with the US.

The election must take place before October, but a change in leadership of the Liberal Party could increase calls for a snap vote in the coming months.

Trudeau's departure would bring to an end a defining era in Canadian politics.

He unexpectedly swept his party to power in 2015, winning a campaign that began with them in third place.

The fresh-faced young leader, aged 43 back then, promised a new kind of politics centred on an open immigration policy, increased taxes on the wealthy and battling climate change.

But his first term was dogged by scandals. In more recent years, he had been battling sinking popularity as frustration grew with the cost of living and his own style of governing.

More than a dozen of his own MPs have called for him to step down, while polls suggest two-thirds of voters disapprove of him.

Just 26% of respondents in a September Ipsos said Trudeau was their top pick for prime minister, putting him 19 points behind Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

History is also not on Trudeau's side, with only two prime ministers ever serving four consecutive terms.

Poilievre rose to the top of his party in 2022 on a promise to reduce taxes, tackle inflation and protect individual liberties.

The 45-year-old also rallied support behind the Freedom Convoy truckers protesting about Covid mandates - a blockade that brought Canadian cities including Ottawa to a standstill.

Canada's next prime minister will have to address the threat of tariffs from incoming US President Donald Trump.

He has vowed to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods if the country does not secure its shared border to the flow of irregular migrants and illegal drugs.

The "grave challenge" this posed was referred to in the resignation letter of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who quit hours before she was due to deliver her annual budget.

Trudeau had informed her he no longer wanted her to be his government's top economic adviser.

Biden bans offshore drilling across vast area of US

BBC 'Breaking' graphicBBC

US President Joe Biden has announced a ban on offshore oil and gas drilling along most of America's coastline, weeks before Donald Trump takes office.

Trump had pledged to massively increase US fossil fuel production.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Ukraine renews attack on Russia's Kursk region

Getty Images A Ukrainian military man holding a Kalashnikov rifle walks past a building that has blown out windows in September in Sudzha, Kursk Region, Russia.Getty Images
Ukraine first launched its incursion into Russia's Kursk Region in August (file photo taken in September)

Ukraine has launched a fresh offensive in Russia's Kursk region, the Russian Defence Ministry says.

In a statement, the military said efforts to destroy the Ukrainian attack groups are ongoing. Officials in Ukraine have also suggested an operation is under way.

Ukraine first launched its incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August last year, seizing a large chunk of territory.

In recent months, Russian forces have made big gains in the area, pushing the Ukrainians back, but failing to eject them entirely.

In a statement posted on Telegram on Sunday, Russia's defence ministry said: "At around 9am Moscow time, in order to stop the offensive by the Russian troops in the Kursk direction, the enemy launched a counter-attack by an assault detachment consisting of two tanks, one counter-obstacle vehicle, and 12 armoured fighting vehicles."

The head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said there "was good news from Kursk Region" and that Russia was "getting what it deserves".

Ukraine's top counter-disinformation official Andriy Kovalenko said in a Telegram post on Sunday: "The Russians in Kursk are experiencing great anxiety because they were attacked from several directions and it came as a surprise to them."

It's unclear whether the offensive is sufficiently large-scale to lead to any significant changes on the frontline.

Kyiv's forces are reportedly suffering from manpower shortages and have been losing ground in the east of Ukraine in recent months, as Russian troops advance.

It comes as the Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched another drone attack on Ukraine overnight.

It said it had shot down 61 drones over Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyy regions

There were no direct hits, but a few houses were damaged in Kharkiv Region by an intercepted drone, the air force said.

A BBC graphic showing a map of Russia's Kursk region, which borders eastern Ukraine

In November, Ukraine reported its troops had engaged in combat with North Korean troops in the Kursk region.

The appearance of North Korean soldiers was in response to a surprise attack launched across the border by Ukrainian troops in August, advancing up to 18 miles (30km) into Russian land.

Moscow evacuated almost 200,000 people from areas along the border and President Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian offensive as a "major provocation".

After a fortnight, Ukraine's top commander claimed to control more than 1,200 sq km of Russian territory and 93 villages.

Some of that territory has been regained by Russia but Ukraine still has troops in the Kursk region.

Harris to certify Trump's US election win, four years after Capitol riot

Reuters Donald Trump and Kamala Harris shaking hands Reuters
Trump and Harris shaking hands ahead of a presidential debate last year

US Vice-President Kamala Harris will on Monday preside over the official certification in Congress of the result of November's presidential election - a contest that she lost to Donald Trump.

The date also marks the fourth anniversary of a riot at the US Capitol, when Trump's supporters tried to thwart the certification of Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory in 2020. Normally the occasion is a mere formality.

Heavy security is in place in Washington DC, and Biden has vowed there will be no repeat of the violence on 6 January 2021 - which led to several deaths.

As lawmakers meet in Washington DC, heavy snow forecast for the American capital could prove disruptive.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has vowed to go ahead with the certification at 13:00 EST (18:00 GMT) in spite of the weather, telling Fox News: "Whether we're in a blizzard or not, we're going to be in that chamber making sure this is done."

As the current vice-president, Harris is required by the US Constitution to officially preside over the certification of the result, after Trump beat her in the nationwide poll on 5 November.

Trump won all seven of the country's swing states, helping him to victory in the electoral college, the mechanism that decides who takes the presidency. It will be Harris's job on Monday to read out the number of electoral college votes won by each candidate.

Trump's second term will begin after he is inaugurated on 20 January. For the first time since 2017, the president's party will also enjoy majorities in both chambers of Congress, albeit slender ones.

Trump's win marked a stunning political comeback from his electoral defeat in 2020, and a criminal conviction in 2024 - a first for a current or former US president.

Amid the dramatic recent presidential campaign, Trump also survived a bullet grazing his ear when a gunman opened fire at one of his rallies in Pennsylvania.

While away from the White House, he has faced a slew of legal cases against him - including over his attempts to overturn the 2020 result, which he continues to dispute.

Following his defeat that year, Trump and his allies made baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud - claiming the election had been stolen from them.

In a speech in Washington DC on certification day, 6 January 2021, Trump told a crowd to "fight like hell" but also asked them to "peacefully" make their voices heard.

He also attempted to pressurise his own vice-president, Mike Pence, to reject the election result - a call that Pence rejected.

Rioters went on to smash through barricades and ransack the Capitol building before Trump ultimately intervened by telling them to go home. Several deaths were blamed on the violence.

Trump's pledges after returning to office include pardoning people convicted of offences over the attack. He says many of them are "wrongfully imprisoned", though has acknowledged that "a couple of them, probably they got out of control".

Conversely, Biden has called on Americans never to forget what happened.

"We must remember the wisdom of the adage that any nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it," Biden wrote in the Washington Post over the weekend.

For Trump's Republican Party, the new Senate Majority Leader John Thune has signalled a desire to move on, telling the BBC's US partner CBS News: "You can't be looking in the rearview mirror."

BBC banner graphic reads: "More on Trump transition"

What are my rights if my home is flooded or damaged?

Flooding: What are my rights if my home, car or work is affected?

  • Published
People wade through water on a street in Pontypridd, Wales, with an emergency worker in the foreground and two vehicles also partially submerged.Image source, Getty Images

Storm Bert is the latest intense spell of weather that has caused extensive damage in various parts of the UK.

As the clean-up begins, people will find insurance cover and compensation can vary significantly depending on the level of impact and the small print in policies.

Some automatic protection may be in place.

My home or business premises is flooded. What should I do?

Safety is the key priority, so residents and business owners and their employees should only return to the property when it is safe to do so.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says most home buildings, contents and commercial business policies cover storm damage.

Commercial policies cover damage to premises and stock. Business interruption cover, which may be included or purchased separately as part of an insurance agreement, will cover additional trading costs.

Comprehensive motor insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing vehicles damaged by storms.

The ABI has a six-step recovery guide, external on what to do if your home or business is flooded:

  • Contact your insurer as soon as possible: They will advise on emergency accommodation or temporary alternative trading premises

  • Assess the damage: A loss adjuster will assess the claim

  • Cleaning and stripping out: Work should start within four weeks

  • Disinfecting and drying your home: This can take from a few weeks to several months

  • Repair and reconstruction: A builder appointed by your loss adjuster should begin after you get your drying certificate

  • Moving back in: This can take between a few weeks and a year or more, depending on the extent of the damage

Insurers can advise on ensuring repairs are resilient and more resistant to future floods.

Anyone who may not have been affected this time, but may be in the future, should consider taking steps to ensure they are prepared, external.

Do I receive compensation if my power was cut off?

Some homes have been without power during these storms, making life particularly uncomfortable during the extreme weather.

There are rules in place that mean compensation may be paid, external by the local electricity distributor.

The level of compensation is £70, with further payments of £70 if the situation continues for a long time. However, whether this is payable, and when, depends on the severity of the situation in each area.

The Energy Ombudsman, an impartial referee following complaints, points out that residents without power should be kept updated on the situation and on their right to compensation by their local distributor.

Do I have to go to work?

Employees are urged to contact their workplace if they have problems getting to work and employers should try to provide alternative working arrangements where possible, according to the latest advice, external from the conciliation service Acas.

Acas's top tips for workers affected by the bad weather include:

  • Informing your boss as soon as possible if you cannot get into work

  • Checking if there are alternative travel options

  • Asking about flexible working arrangements

  • Considering any urgent work that needs to be covered

The service also says if you're available to work but your place of work is closed, then you will usually be entitled to normal pay.

My travel plans were disrupted, what are my rights?

A host of rail routes have been affected by the recent storms, external, owing to debris on the line as well as flooding.

A number of train operating companies in affected areas have issued advice for customers.

Generally, refunds are available for cancelled trains, external, or if you do not want to travel owing to the weather.

For delays, irrespective of the reason, many companies offer an automatic compensation service, although a claim still needs to be made. It can be more complicated for those with season tickets.

If you are booked on a specific service which is cancelled, then you must check with staff instead of simply getting on the next available train to your destination.

Is there help available if my flight was cancelled?

Some flights have been affected by the latest bad weather.

If a flight is cancelled then you can take a refund, or an alternative route or flight to your destination. You must talk to the airline, rather than booking it yourself.

The airline should look after you, such as providing meals if it is a long delay, but they do not have to pay the extra compensation that would be due had the delay been the airline's fault.

Child sex abuse inquiry chair urges government to implement 2022 report in full

Dave Higgens/PA Wire Professor Alexis Jay during a press conference at the New York Stadium, RotherhamDave Higgens/PA Wire
Professor Alexis Jay led a landmark inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales

Prof Alexis Jay, the former chair of a national inquiry into child sexual abuse, has called for the "full implementation" of reforms set out in her 2022 report, which warned of "endemic" abuse across society in England and Wales.

A campaign group chaired by Prof Jay, called Act on IICSA, said ministers must commit to a "clear timeline" to adopt the recommendations laid out by the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The government says it supports the changes.

The group warned against "politicising" sexual violence and pushed back against "misinformation".

Prof Jay also distanced herself from calls from the Conservatives and Reform UK for a new inquiry into grooming gangs.

The IICSA national inquiry was set up in 2015 and carried out 15 investigations, including into grooming gangs and abuse in schools and church settings.

Prof Jay had previously led a landmark local inquiry into widescale abuse in Rotherham, where it was estimated 1,400 children were exploited between 1997 and 2013, predominantly by men of Pakistani heritage.

The IICSA's final report was published in 2022 and set out 20 recommendations it said were necessary to reduce child suffering.

They included setting up a national child protection authority, implementing tighter controls on who can work with vulnerable children, legislating to force tech firms to take stronger action over online abuse material and making not reporting abuse a criminal offence.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Act on IICSA said: "Politicising the issue of sexual violence fails to acknowledge its lifelong impact and hinders the implementation of vital and urgent overhaul to our systems required."

Prof Jay said: "Our mission is not to call for new inquiries but to advocate for the full implementation of IICSA's recommendations."

She has previously said she was "frustrated" at the previous Conservative government's lack of progress in adopting the recommendations, and described its response as "weak", which the Home Office disputed at the time.

On Sunday, Act on IICSA also said recent media coverage of child sexual abuse has highlighted a "troubling trend of misinformation that undermines the true scale of the crisis and the pressing need for reform".

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government was prioritising "getting on with" implementing the recommendations.

Prof Jay's comments came after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called for a national public inquiry into the UK's "rape gangs scandal" on Thursday, which Reform leader Nigel Farage also supports.

The issue of grooming gangs was put back in the spotlight after Home Office minister Jess Phillips rejected Oldham Council's request for a government-led inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation in the town, in favour of a locally-led investigation.

That decision was criticised by senior Tory and Reform figures, while billionaire Elon Musk also fuelled online anger over the move in a series of posts on social media.

Channel migrants: The real reason so many are fleeing Vietnam for the UK

BBC Montage image showing a beach with trees in the background, coloured in red, with a black and white image of people on a small inflatable boat at the frontBBC

More Vietnamese attempted small-boat Channel crossings in the first half of 2024 than any other nationality. Yet they are coming from one of the world's fastest-growing economies. Why, then, are so many risking their lives to reach Britain?

Phuong looked at the small inflatable boat and wondered whether she should step in. There were 70 people packed in, and it was sitting low in the water. She recalls the fear, exhaustion and desperation on their faces. There weren't enough lifejackets to go around.

But Phuong was desperate. She says she had been stuck in France for two months, after travelling there from Vietnam via Hungary, sleeping in tents in a scrubby forest.

Already she had refused to travel on one boat because it seemed dangerously overcrowded, and previously had been turned back in the middle of the Channel three times by bad weather or engine failure.

Her sister, Hien, lives in London, and recalls that Phuong used to phone her from France in tears. "She was torn between fear and a drive to keep going.

Getty Images A small boat packed with people is rescued in English waters by a larger boatGetty Images
The UK has called on Vietnam's authorities to strengthen efforts in controlling smuggling

"But she had borrowed so much - around £25,000 - to fund this trip. Turning back wasn't an option." So, she climbed on board.

Today Phuong lives in London with her sister, without any legal status. She was too nervous to speak to us directly, and Phuong is not her real name. She left it to her sister, who is now a UK citizen, to describe her experiences.

In the six months to June, Vietnamese made up the largest number of recorded small boat arrivals with 2,248 landing in the UK, ahead of people from countries with well-documented human rights problems, including Afghanistan and Iran.

The extraordinary efforts made by Vietnamese migrants to get to Britain is well documented, and in 2024 the BBC reported on how Vietnamese syndicates are running successful people-smuggling operations.

It is not without significant risks. Some Vietnamese migrants end up being trafficked into sex work or illegal marijuana farms. They make up more than one-tenth of those in the UK filing official claims that they are victims of modern slavery.

And yet Vietnam is a fast-growing economy, acclaimed as a "mini-China" for its manufacturing prowess. Per capita income is eight times higher than it was 20 years ago. Add to that the tropical beaches, scenery and affordability, which have made it a magnet for tourists.

So what is it that makes so many people desperate to leave?

A tale of two Vietnams

Vietnam, a one-party Communist state, sits near the bottom of most human rights and freedom indexes. No political opposition is permitted. The few dissidents who raise their voices are harassed and jailed.

Yet most Vietnamese have learned to live with the ruling party, which leans for legitimacy on its record of delivering growth. Very few who go to Britain are fleeing repression.

Nor are the migrants generally fleeing poverty. The World Bank has singled Vietnam out for its almost unrivalled record of poverty reduction among its 100 million people.

Rather, they are trying to escape what some call "relative deprivation".

Getty Images Morning traffic on Lo Duc Street in Hanoi, Vietnam on a warm spring day. People are commuting on bikes and motorbikes, or walking and shopping. Apartment buildings are rising above the street behind electric cables.
Getty Images
Per capita income is eight times higher in Vietnam than it was 20 years ago

Despite its impressive economic record, Vietnam started far behind most of its Asian neighbours, with growth only taking off well after the end of the Cold War in 1989. As a result, average wages, at around £230 a month, are much lower than in nearby countries like Thailand, and three-quarters of the 55-million-strong workforce are in informal jobs, with no security or social protection.

"There is a huge disparity between big cities like Hanoi and rural areas," says Nguyen Khac Giang, a Vietnamese academic at the Institute of South East Asian Studies-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. "For a majority of workers with limited skills, there is a glass ceiling. Even if you work 14 hours a day you cannot save enough to build a house or start a family."

This was what Phuong felt, despite coming from Haiphong, Vietnam's third-largest city.

Her sister Hien had made it to Britain nine years earlier, smuggled inside a shipping container. It had cost her around £22,000 but she was able to pay that back in two years, working long hours in kitchens and nail salons. Hien married a Vietnamese man who already had British citizenship, and they had a daughter; all three are now UK citizens.

In Haiphong, jobs were scarce after the pandemic and at 38 years old, Phuong wanted what her sister had in London: the ability to save money and start a family.

"She could survive in Vietnam, but she wanted a home, a better life, with more security," explains Hien.

Getty Images A woman rides a bicycle on the street in Haiphong cityGetty Images
Haiphong is Vietnam's third-largest city

Lan An Hoang, a professor in development studies at Melbourne University, has spent years studying migration patterns. "Twenty to thirty years ago, the urge to migrate overseas was not as strong, because everyone was poor," she says. "People were happy with one buffalo, one motorbike and three meals a day.

"Suddenly a few people successfully migrated to countries like Germany or the UK, to work on cannabis farms or open nail salons. They started to send a lot of money home. Even though the economic conditions of those left behind have not changed, they feel poor relative to all these families with migrants working in Europe."

'Catch up, get rich'

This tradition of seeking better lives overseas goes back to the 1970s and 80s, when Vietnam was allied to the Soviet Union following the defeat of US forces in the south.

The state-led economy had hit rock bottom. Millions were destitute; some areas suffered food shortages. Tens of thousands left to work in eastern bloc countries like Poland, East Germany and Hungary.

This was also a time when 800,000 mainly ethnic Chinese boat people fled the communist party's repressive actions, making perilous sea journeys across the South China Sea, eventually resettling in the USA, Australia or Europe.

Getty Images Bamboo fishing boats on the beach at low tide in Nghe An province VietnamGetty Images
Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorer provinces south of Hanoi

The economic hardships of that time threatened the legitimacy of the communist party, and in 1986 it made an abrupt turn, abandoning the attempt to build a socialist system and throwing the doors open to global markets. The new theme of Vietnam's national story was to catch up, and get rich, any way possible. For many Vietnamese, that meant going abroad.

"Money is God in Vietnam," says Lan An Hoang. "The meaning of 'the good life' is primarily anchored in your ability to accumulate wealth. There is also a strong obligation to help your family, especially in central Vietnam.

"That is why the whole extended family pools resources to finance the migration of one young person because they believe they can send back large sums of money, and facilitate the migration of other people."

New money: spoils of migration

Drive through the flat rice fields of Nghe An, one of Vietnam's poorer provinces lying south of Hanoi, and where there were once smaller concrete houses, you will now find large, new houses with gilded gates. More are under construction, thanks, in part, to money earned in the West.

The new houses are prominent symbols of success for returnees who have done well overseas.

Getty Images Nghe An, Vietnam - three people in hats are transplanting young rice sprouts in a field 
Getty Images
Workers tend a rice field in Nghe An

Vietnam is now enjoying substantial inflows of foreign investment, as it is considered an alternative to China for companies wanting to diversify their supply chains. This investment is even beginning to reach places like Nghe An, too.

Foxconn, a corporate giant that manufactures iPhones, is one of several foreign businesses building factories in Nghe An, offering thousands of new jobs.

But monthly salaries for unskilled workers only reach around £300, even with overtime. That is not enough to rival the enticing stories of the money to be made in the UK, as told by the people smugglers.

From travel agents to labour brokers

The business of organising the travel for those wishing to leave the province is now a very profitable one. Publicly, companies present themselves as either travel agents or brokers for officially-approved overseas labour contracts, but in practice many also offer to smuggle people to the UK via other European countries. They usually paint a rosy picture of life in Britain, and say little about the risks and hardships they will face.

"Brokers" typically charge between £15,000 and £35,000 for the trip to the UK. Hungary is a popular route into the EU because it offers guest-worker visas to Vietnamese passport holders. The higher the price, the easier and faster the journey.

Shutterstock Vietnam President Luong Cuong wears a suit and waves his handShutterstock
Vietnam President Luong Cuong at the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's People's Army in December 2024

The communist authorities in Vietnam have been urged by the US, the UK and UN agencies to do more to control the smuggling business.

Remittances from abroad earn Vietnam around £13bn a year, and the government has a policy of promoting migration for work, although only through legal channels, mostly to richer Asian countries.

More than 130,000 Vietnamese workers left in 2024 under the official scheme. But the fees for these contracts can be high, and the wages are much lower than they can earn in Britain.

The huge risks of the illicit routes used to reach the UK were brought home in 2019, when 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in Essex, having suffocated while being transported inside a sealed container across the Channel.

Yet this has not noticeably reduced demand for the smugglers' services. The increased scrutiny of container traffic has, however, pushed them to find alternative Channel crossings, which helps explain the sharp rise in Vietnamese people using small boats.

'Success stories outweigh the risks'

"The tragedy of the 39 deaths in 2019 is almost forgotten," says the cousin of one of the victims, Le Van Ha. He left behind a wife, two young children and a large debt from the cost of the journey. His cousin, who does not want to be named, says attitudes in their community have not changed.

"People hardly care anymore. It's a sad reality, but it is the truth.

"I see the trend of leaving continuing to grow, not diminish. For people here, the success stories still outweigh the risks."

Getty Images Police officers drive escort the lorry in which 39 dead bodies were discovered Getty Images
The lorry where 39 Vietnamese people were found dead

Three of the victims came from the agricultural province of Quang Binh. The headteacher of a secondary school in the region, who also asked not to be named, says that 80% of his students who graduate soon plan to go overseas.

"Most parents here come from low-income backgrounds," he explains. "The idea of [encouraging their child to] broaden their knowledge and develop their skills is not the priority.

"For them, sending a child abroad is largely about earning money quickly, and getting it sent back home to improve the family's living standards."

In March the UK Home Office started a social media campaign to deter Vietnamese people from illegal migration. Some efforts were also made by the Vietnamese government to alert people to the risks of using people-smugglers. But until there are more appealing economic opportunities in those provinces, it is likely the campaigns will have little impact.

Photos of 39 who died in lorry trailer tragedy in UK in 2019
Images taken from social media of victims who died in the lorry trailer carrying 39 Vietnamese migrants in October 2019

"They cannot run these campaigns just once," argues Diep Vuong, co-founder of Pacific Links, an anti-trafficking organisation. "It's a constant investment in education that's needed."

She has first-hand experience, leaving Vietnam to the US in 1980 as part of the exodus of Vietnamese boat people.

"In Vietnam, people believe they have to work hard, to do everything for their families. That is like a shackle which they cannot easily escape. But with enough good information put out over the years, they might start to change this attitude."

But the campaigns are up against a powerful narrative. Those who go overseas and fail – and many do – are often ashamed, and keep quiet about what went wrong. Those who succeed come back to places like Nghe An and flaunt their new-found wealth. As for the tragedy of the 39 people who died in a shipping container, the prevailing view in Nghe An is still that they were just unlucky.

Top image credit: Getty Images

BBC InDepth is the new home on the website and app for the best analysis and expertise from our top journalists. Under a distinctive new brand, we’ll bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, and deep reporting on the biggest issues to help you make sense of a complex world. And we’ll be showcasing thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. We’re starting small but thinking big, and we want to know what you think - you can send us your feedback by clicking on the button below.

Chris Mason: Musk looms large over UK as MPs return for 2025

Reuters Elon MuskReuters

The new year in politics starts with the bang of a billionaire with a bigger mouth than his bank balance.

Elon Musk has been lobbing almost as many digital darts over the Atlantic as Luke Littler has the real things in the last couple of days.

The world's richest man has been sounding off in the strongest possible terms about the prime minister for almost as long as Sir Keir Starmer has been in Downing Street.

In recent days, the focus has been on child sexual exploitation and Musk's allegation that the prime minister was "complicit in the rape of Britain" when he was Director of Public Prosecutions by failing to deal with the scandal.

I'm told Sir Keir "will not want to get into a food fight with Musk" but will make a robust defence of his time as chief prosecutor.

He is also keen to emphasise the importance of political debate being grounded in verifiable facts and that Musk is making claims that are "blatantly untrue" as one source put it. Sources point, for instance, to those defending the Prime Minister's record as DPP.

Those in government also point to the local inquiries there have been into the abuse and rape of vulnerable young girls by groups of men mainly of Pakistani descent – and the national inquiry conducted by Professor Alexis Jay.

The Conservatives, Reform and Elon Musk have each expressed varying degrees of outrage in recent days that the government has said no to a public inquiry into the scandal.

But few expected this weekend's twist: that within hours of the Reform leader Nigel Farage describing Musk as a "hero" who "makes us look cool," the X owner said Reform needed a new leader as Farage "doesn't have what it takes".

Nigel Farage being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg
Farage touted his relationship with Musk in a BBC interview which aired hours before the billionaire called for him to be ousted

"It's not been the perfect day," said one Reform figure with a splash of understatement and a smile. "We probably do look a bit silly."

Farage's repeated statements distancing himself from the far-right activist Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who calls himself Tommy Robinson, appear to be at the heart of the spat.

Reform hadn't seen this coming. Just weeks ago they were talking up the prospect of a big money donation from Elon Musk – but are now trying to put the best spin on things.

"Nigel is not for sale," is how one senior party figure put it to me, saying this showed that the Reform leader was willing to stand up to anybody, including the richest man in the world.

Another said that if Reform were to be treated as a serious political outfit - and remember, Nigel Farage has said he wants to win the next general election - that means robustly and consistently rejecting any association with Robinson, whatever the consequences.

The one politician to attract some praise from Elon Musk, for now at least, is the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, for her calls for a public inquiry into child sexual abuse.

Badenoch sees the scandal as a case study in what she sees as our broken politics.

For Badenoch, 2025 will be a crucial year as she fights to rebuild her party and fights for attention – not easy, when Nigel Farage is around.

She got yet another taste of that over Christmas in a very public row with him over party membership numbers: Badenoch suggested Reform's claim on Boxing Day to have overtaken the Tories' membership numbers were "fake" as their tally was automatically rising.

Reuters Kemi Badenoch in the CommonsReuters

Reform invited journalists to verify that this was not the case and the Financial Times among others concluded there was "strong evidence" the party's tally was accurate.

In the coming weeks, we can expect to hear from Badenoch about the so-called Policy Commissions she is setting up, and who will lead them.

It will be worth keeping an eye too on the man she beat to the leadership, Robert Jenrick, who hasn't exactly gone quietly.

He is her shadow justice secretary but his willingness to carry on campaigning almost as if the leadership race was still on is irking some senior Tories, who want him to stay in his lane on policy and not stray all over the place talking about whatever he likes.

As for the prime minister, a bruising first six months into office and with noises off at home and abroad, his big hope is delivery.

He is forgoing the usual new year big picture speech as his team feel he did just that with his big speech last month.

Instead, he is focusing on a specific promise: getting hospital waiting lists down in England.

He will do similar style events and visits in the coming weeks on the government's other big promises.

So here goes with politics in 2025.

We are not even a week in and it is proving lively already.

Firms to raise prices due to tax and wage increases

Getty Images Two engineers wearing white hard hats looking at a piece of equipmentGetty Images

Confidence among UK firms has "slumped" as they face a "pressure cooker of rising costs and taxes", according to a business group.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said its survey of more than 4,800 firms suggested confidence had fallen to its lowest level for two years.

Nearly two-thirds told the BCC they were worried about taxes following the Budget, which announced a rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) paid by firms from April, and more than half expect to raise prices in the next three months.

A Treasury spokesperson said more than half of employers would either see a cut or no change in their NI bills.

The strength of the UK economy has come under focus following the release of disappointing growth figures just before Christmas.

The latest official data showed the economy had zero growth between July and September, while it contracted during October.

The figures were seen as a blow to the government after it made boosting the economy its top priority.

Labour has promised to deliver the highest sustained economic growth in the G7 group of the world's richest nations.

Businesses have already warned that Budget measures such as the rise in employer NICs, together with the higher National Living Wage, could lead to job cuts and price rises.

Kevin McNamee/Denroy Group Kevin McNamee, chief executive of Denroy GroupKevin McNamee/Denroy Group
Kevin McNamee said businesses had been "shocked" by the changes to national insurance in the Budget

Kevin McNamee is chief executive of Denroy Group, a manufacturer of plastic goods based near Belfast that employs 250 people.

He said the combined impact of the changes to the minimum wage and national insurance would cost the company "hundreds of thousands of pounds, it's really significant".

It was "probably inevitable" the prices on some of their goods would have to rise to try to cover the higher costs, he said.

"The focus now will be on boosting productivity, reducing headcount or certainly not adding to the headcount as the business grows and driving that productivity."

He added businesses had been "shocked" by the changes to national insurance.

"It's hard to see how the Budget incentivises businesses to invest to grow, we've had our pockets picked to an extent here."

The BCC collected data from more than 4,800 businesses across the UK between 11 November and 9 December. It said 91% of the firms surveyed were classed as small and medium-sized enterprises, with fewer than 250 employees.

It found 63% of firms were worried about tax. That was the highest level since 2017 when the business group began recording the data, and was up from the previous reading of 48%.

The BCC said confidence had fallen, with 49% of firms expecting sales to increase over the next year. The business group said this was the lowest level since the aftermath of the mini-budget in late 2022.

More than half - 55% - of firms who took part in the survey said they expected to raise their prices in the next three months.

"The worrying reverberations of the Budget are clear to see in our survey data," said Shevaun Haviland, the BCC's director general.

"Businesses confidence has slumped in a pressure cooker of rising costs and taxes.

"Firms of all shapes and sizes are telling us the national insurance hike is particularly damaging. Businesses are already cutting back on investment and say they will have to put up prices in the coming months."

A Treasury spokesperson said: "We delivered a once-in-a-parliament Budget to wipe the slate clean and deliver the stability businesses so desperately need.

"We have ensured more than half of employers will either see a cut or no change in their National Insurance bills, and by capping the rate of corporation tax at the lowest level in the G7, creating pension megafunds and establishing a National Wealth Fund, we are bringing back political and financial stability, creating the conditions for economic growth through investment and reform."

The spokesperson added this was just the start of the government's plans for change which "will make all parts of the country better off".

What should be in your winter driving survival kit?

How to drive in snow and icy weather

  • Published
Related topics
Traffic drives slowly through heavy snowfall at Leeming Bar in North Yorkshire after overnight snow hit parts of the UK in February 2020Image source, PA Media

Snow and ice is forecast across much of the UK from Saturday, with a Met Office yellow warning in place for England and Wales and parts of Scotland.

In very bad conditions it may be best to avoid driving at all, but if you do need to use your car make sure you are as well-prepared as possible.

What should I carry in the car when driving in snow and ice?

Allow extra time before you set off to de-ice the car, and expect journeys to take much longer.

Check traffic reports and plan your journey around major roads, which are more likely to be gritted or cleared. Avoid shortcuts on minor roads.

Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes. Pack a coat, hat, gloves, sturdy boots and a blanket to keep you warm in case you do get stuck or have to leave your car.

You may also need sunglasses in bright weather.

Graphic showing what to take when driving in winter including warm clothes, charged mobile, medication, first aid kit, blanket, shovel, ice-scraper, food and a hot drink.

Take some food such as chocolate and biscuits, as well as water and a hot drink if you can.

Make sure you have a fully-charged mobile and any medication you need.

Take a shovel to clear snow and some old bits of carpet, or cat litter, to put under the tyres if you get stuck.

How should you prepare your car for driving in snow and ice?

Cars driving down a snowy roadImage source, PA

Consider buying winter tyres, which offer extra grip, especially if you live in an area which regularly experiences snow.

If you have standard tyres, make sure they're inflated at the right pressure, and that each has at least 3mm of tread.

Car batteries run down more quickly in winter. Take regular long journeys to keep yours running well, or consider using a trickle-charger, external which is designed to stop your battery going flat.

Keep screen wash topped up, and use a proper anti-freeze at the right concentration to prevent ice.

If there is a risk of windscreen wipers freezing overnight, place cardboard between the blades and the windscreen.

Keep your fuel tank topped up so if you are caught out, you have enough fuel to make it home, or run the engine to keep warm.

But if you do get stuck, make sure snow doesn't block the exhaust, because noxious fumes can leak into the vehicle.

How should you drive in snow and ice?

A woman wearing a black winter coat and grey gloves scrapes snow off the windscreen of her parked car.Image source, Getty Images

Clear all snow and ice from the windscreen, windows and roof of the car before setting off.

Don't use boiling water to de-ice windscreens - hot water can crack the glass, and the water will only freeze again on the screen, or on the ground where you are standing.

Check your lights are clear of snow and are working.

If you drive a manual vehicle, use second gear to pull away, lifting the clutch gently to avoid wheel spin. Stay in a higher gear for better control as you pick up speed.

Many automatic cars have a "snow" or "winter" gearbox mode. Check your handbook for details.

Maintain the right speed: too fast and you risk losing control, but driving too slowly means you might lose momentum when you need it.

Brake, steer and accelerate as smoothly as possible, and drive so that you do not rely on your brakes to be able to stop.

Remember stopping distances are up to 10 times greater in snow and ice.

Graphic showing stopping distances are longer in snow and icy conditions eg 395m when travelling 50mph instead of 53m in normal conditions

Leave more space behind the car in front than you usually would.

On motorways, stay in the lane clearest of snow, ice and slush, and keep within existing tyre tracks if you can.

What should you do if your car gets stuck in snow or ice?

If you get stuck, don't try to keep moving if the wheels spin - it will only dig you in deeper.

Use a shovel to clear snow from under your tyres. Pour cat litter, sand or gravel in front of the wheels to help them get traction.

Shift from forward to reverse and back again. Give a light touch on the accelerator until the vehicle gets going.

If you can't move your car, you can stay warm by running the engine. However, it is vital to ensure exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow because highly toxic carbon monoxide gas could enter the car.

If there is any risk of fumes coming into the vehicle, do not run the engine. Even if it is safe, don't run it for more than 10 or 15 minutes in each hour.

Stay in or close to your car.

In heavy snow, it is easy to get disorientated and lost or separated from your vehicle. You can hang a piece of brightly coloured cloth on your car to let you or others find it.

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Media caption,

Watch: Drivers stranded for 24 hours in deep Sweden snow

❌