An update from the the National Police Chiefs' Council on the situation after #BrexitDay:
"During the transition period we retain access to all European Union law enforcement tools and powers. The future negotiations will include security co-operation and we will work...
...with the government and EU in support of a deal that maintains our current capabilities and cooperation – in the interests of all UK and European citizens."
Regional police forces are managing protests and parties today and do not expect any disorder
On the Leave Means Leave party with Nigel Farage in Parliament Square, the Metropolitan Police would only say that a "proportionate policing plan is in place"
Protests have dwindled and become less angry since Boris Johnson became PM, so all eyes now on end of transition period
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Because of the misinformation about the horrific attack in Southport, I am going to use this thread to give factual information on how mass stabbings are investigated and what the involvement of counter-terrorism police means
These are general processes not specific to this case
In cases of all kinds, police are banned from identifying suspects who have been arrested until they are charged with an offence
If the suspect is under18, they have automatic anonymity. It lifts when they turn 18, unless further restrictions made, or when a judge orders it
Counter-terrorism police involvement in an investigation does not mean that the incident is terrorism, and they have been involved in many cases that were not e.g. the Nottingham stabbings
They are often drawn in following murders or mass killings where the motive is uncertain
The government has responded to this High Court order, stating that it "does not intend to carry out enforced removals to Rwanda before the General Election on 4 July 2024"
The FDA's legal challenge against the Safety of Rwanda Act is going ahead on 6 June
The government missed its initial Friday deadline for responding to the order, claiming it was “unable” to state the earliest date for removals and was given an extension until Tuesday
Another order had to be made on that yesterday, pretty chaotic
Oh wow. In a rare move, the High Court has issued an order for the government to formally inform it of "the earliest date on which the Government intend to begin removals to Rwanda"
Because Rishi Sunak's media statement on Thursdsy directly contradicted its own legal arguments
This is the legal challenge against the Safety of Rwanda guidance for civil servants, brought by the FDA union
The government was reprimanded by the High Court on 10 May for messing it about with dates, which affected how the case was scheduled
The government originally wrote to the High Court claiming “the earliest a removal is expected to take place is 1 to 15 July 2024”, but then wrote again saying the date was based on 22 April Sunak press conference and 10 to 12 weeks was actually the "week
commencing 24 June"
New: The Home Office has already started freeing people it detained for Rwanda flights
It will not confirm how many asylum seekers have so far been granted immigration bail but applications were expected. It plans to keep detaining more people to fill allocated detention space
It is responding to individual legal challenges against detention as they come, which can be based on someone's individual vulnerabilities or an argument they will not be deported in a "reasonable period"
The applications are handled by independent judges rather than Home Office
The detention operation - codenamed Operation Vector - only started a couple of weeks ago, and Rwanda flights are still at least 7 weeks away according to the government's own timetable
Many more bail applications will be lodged in that time
On appeals against being sent to Rwanda, the PM claimed: "The judiciary have made available 25 courtrooms and identified 150 judges who could provide over 5,000 sitting days"
A judicial spokesman said: "The deployment of judges is a matter for the judiciary..."
"...in line with new provisions in the Illegal Migration Act, the judiciary have identified a number of First Tier Tribunal judges who may be asked to sit in the Upper Tribunal to deal with any increase in appeals"
But decisions will be made by the Senior President of Tribunals
And take into "account the interests of justice and the need for all matters before the Tribunals to be handled quickly and efficiently"
Any decision on temporary deployment is for the judiciary, not the government, and there are already massive backlogs inews.co.uk/news/politics/…
Follow this thread for a fact-checked watch-along of prime minister Rishi Sunak's press conference on the Rwanda scheme
Wow he's going fast, I'll do my best
1. "We're going to deliver this indispensable deterrent so that we finally break the business model of the criminal gangs"
The Rwanda scheme required a rare ministerial direction because there is no evidence it will deter Channel crossings
2. "We've prepared for this moment to detain people while we prepare to remove them. We've increased detention spaces to 2,200 to quickly process claims"
By the end of December, 1,782 immigration detention centres were full, because they are needed for many other purposes