Commonwealth Summit: Prince Charles expresses 'personal sorrow' over suffering caused by slavery
Charles is representing Queen Elizabeth II as the 54-nation club of mostly former British colonies grapples with questions over its future relevance and modern profile.
By Krishna bhanuJun 24, 2022
Prince Charles told Commonwealth leaders Friday that the choice to become a republic or abandon the queen as head of state was theirs alone, and expressed "personal sorrow" at Britain's legacy of slavery.
The British heir to the throne addressed the opening of a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda as the host nation faced scrutiny over its rights record and a much-criticised migrant deal with the UK.
Charles is representing Queen Elizabeth II as the 54-nation club of mostly former British colonies grapples with questions over its future relevance and modern profile.
Republican movements are taking root in a number of Commonwealth nations and some are seeking reparations for colonial-era injustices like slavery.
Charles acknowledged the change underfoot and said the Commonwealth -- which represents one-third of humanity -- would always be "a free association of independent, self-governing nations".
"The Commonwealth contains within it countries that have had constitutional relationships with my family, some that continue to do so, and increasingly those that have had none," he told an audience of presidents and prime ministers.
"I want to say clearly, as I have said before, that each member's constitutional arrangement, as republic or monarchy, is purely a matter for each member country to decide."
He also acknowledged that the roots of the Commonwealth -- which includes as members nations from Europe to Africa, Asia and the Americas -- "run deep into the most painful period of our history".
"I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many, as I continue to deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact," he said.
Migrant row
Charles earlier Friday met British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been defending his controversial deal to expel migrants from the UK thousands of miles away to Rwanda.
The scheme, which has stalled in the face of legal challenges, has been fiercely opposed by the UN, church leaders, rights groups and -- reportedly -- Charles himself.
"A lot of prejudices about Rwanda need to be blown away," Johnson told British media in Kigali.
He has also heaped praise on President Paul Kagame for the "leaps and bounds" achieved in Rwanda, despite widespread concerns over a lack of political freedom and civil liberties in the tiny African nation.
Rights groups have openly questioned the suitability of Rwanda hosting the Commonwealth, which has a charter that enshrines respect for democracy and human rights as core shared values.
More than 20 rights groups and civil society organisations issued an open letter before the summit saying a "climate of fear" exists under Kagame, whose party came to power after the horrors of the 1994 genocide.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has also called on Britain to condemn Rwanda over its alleged "aggression" in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, where Kigali has been accused of stoking a rebellion.
Johnson himself is facing a political crisis back home after his Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary by-elections.
Leadership battle
The Commonwealth's closed-door summit meetings are missing some heavyweights, including Narendra Modi of India, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa and Australia's Anthony Albanese who sent envoys in their place.
The body has come under scrutiny over its relevance but supporters say the expansion of membership to nations with no historic ties to Britain underscores its value and prestige.
The two newest members are Mozambique and host Rwanda, while west African states Togo and Gabon are expected to join the club at the summit.
"The fact of holding this meeting in Rwanda, the new member with no historical connection to the British empire, expresses our choice to continue re-imagining the Commonwealth for a changing world," Kagame said.
The secretary-general of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, was narrowly re-elected Friday for another two years at the helm after a bruising campaign.
She defeated challenger Kamina Johnson Smith of Jamaica, who had the backing of the UK, which had expressed dissatisfaction with Scotland's stewardship of the organisation.
MINISTER for equalities, Seema Malhotra, this week hosted a race equalities meeting at Downing Street and pledged to work for a fairer society, ahead of Black History Month, observed in October.
Ethnic minority leaders and representatives from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the British Business Bank, the West Midlands Combined Authority, the National Police Chiefs' Council and Avon and Somerset Police attended a meeting of the Race Equality Engagement Group (REEG) on Monday (29).
Its chair is Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
Malhotra said, “No one should be held back or denied opportunities because of their race.
“I am committed to working closely with the group to remove barriers, strengthen accountability and help create a fairer society for communities up and down the country.”
Improving access to investment for ethnic minority led businesses and the Police Race Action Plan were on the agenda for the meeting.
“The Race Equality Engagement Group is working to ensure ethnic minorities' voices are heard having their say on the issues that matter most to them. I look forward to working with members to bring about real and lasting progress on race equality,” said Lawrence.
“Collaboration between ethnic minority communities and the government is crucial in this current climate.”
The REEG, set up in March, aims to strengthen the government's links with ethnic minority communities.
An Equality (Race and Disability) Bill is set to be introduced to address mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers, which the government believes would be a significant step towards greater workplace equality.
Black History Month is marked in October and celebrates the contribution of black and ethnic minority leaders, activists and pioneers.
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A JUDGE has described how vulnerable young girls were let down by local authorities in northern England as he jailed seven members of a child sexual exploitation gang for between 12 to 35 years on Wednesday (1).
The men, all of south Asian descent, exploited at least two vulnerable white teenage girls in Rochdale, near Manchester, using them as "sex slaves".
They were repeatedly raped over a five-year period starting in 2001, a court heard.
Jurors heard they were forced to have sex "with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses".
"They were passed around for sex - abused, humiliated, degraded and then discarded," judge Jonathan Seely said on passing sentence.
The longest sentence of 35 years went to market stallholder Mohammed Zahid, 65.
The father-of-three gave free underwear from his lingerie stall to both teenagers, alongside money, alcohol and food, expecting in return regular sex with him and his friends.
The Manchester resident was found guilty of 20 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and attempting to procure unlawful sexual intercourse from a girl.
Fellow Rochdale market traders Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, and Kasir Bashir, 50, both of Oldham, received jail terms of 27 years and 29 years, respectively.
Both were convicted of offences including rape and indecency with a child.
Bashir, who absconded before the trial began and is believed to have fled abroad, was sentenced in absentia.
Taxi drivers Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 49, and Nisar Hussain, 41, all of Rochdale, were convicted of multiple counts of rape and received sentences ranging from 19 to 26 years.
A final offender, 39-year-old Roheez Khan, of Rochdale, was jailed for 12 years for a single count of rape.
The men sentenced on Wednesday were prosecuted as part of Operation Lytton, a police investigation launched in 2015 into historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.
Police probes into historic child sexual exploitation in Rochdale have so far led to the conviction of 32 offenders, including the seven sentenced on Wednesday, according to the police.
The perpetrators have collectively been jailed for more than 450 years.
Handing down the jail terms, Seely said the two victims "were highly vulnerable, both had deeply troubled backgrounds and were known to the authorities".
Seven men jailed for more than 170 years for Rochdale child sexual exploitation
"They were highly susceptible to the advances of these men and others, and both were sexually abused by numerous other men," he noted.
"Both were seriously let down by those whose job it was to protect them."
A jury hearing their four-month trial in Manchester found all seven guilty in June of rape and dozens of other offences, after both victims gave evidence in court.
Social services and police have apologised for their past failings surrounding the victims.
Liz Fell, specialist prosecutor in the case, thanked both victims for their "strength and dignity throughout what has been a lengthy and challenging legal process".
"Their determination to see justice done has been fundamental to securing these convictions," she said, noting the defendants had failed to show the "slightest remorse".
Sharon Hubber, director of children’s services at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Rochdale Borough Council is in a very different place to where it once was more than a decade ago, and our work to improve our safeguarding practice and our response to child sexual exploitation has been recognised in every Ofsted inspection since 2014.
“We will not be complacent however, and we remain committed to doing all that we can with our partners to protect and support victims and survivors.
“We also continue to provide a safe and supportive environment to anyone affected by non-recent abuse or exploitation to ensure people get the right support that they need.”
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'You shouldn’t believe anyone in politics who says they’re not ambitious about the top job because they’re basically lying,' she said. (Photo: Getty Images)
Shabana Mahmood has suggested she could one day seek to lead the Labour Party, saying politicians who deny ambition for the top job are “basically lying.”
Speaking at a fringe event during the Labour Party conference, the new home secretary said she is committed to serving Keir Starmer but stopped short of ruling out her own leadership ambitions.
“I’m very happy to serve Keir Starmer,” she said. “You shouldn’t believe anyone in politics who says they’re not ambitious about the top job because they’re basically lying,” she told The Times.
When asked directly if she sees herself as a future leader, Mahmood replied: “If I answer that question, I’m not going to be home secretary any more.”
In the same session, she backed the introduction of digital identity cards to tackle benefit fraud and illegal work. “It’s always been a no-brainer if one of the results of having an ID card is to clamp down on the ability of people to cheat the system,” she said.
Mahmood also set out her plan to require migrants to show ten years’ residence and evidence of contribution, such as volunteering or skilled jobs, before being granted indefinite leave to remain.
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The government said the move is aimed at reducing the '8am scramble' when patients try to get through on the phone. (Representational image: iStock)
FROM today (October 1), all GP practices in England are required to offer online appointment bookings throughout the day.
The government said the move is aimed at reducing the “8am scramble” when patients try to get through on the phone.
Surgeries will now have to provide the service from 08:00 to 18:30, Monday to Friday. Patients will be able to request non-urgent appointments, describe symptoms, ask questions and request a call back, BBC reported.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that serious health problems could be missed, creating a “potential online triage tsunami.”
It has called for safeguards, such as allowing practices to switch off online booking if staff cannot cope with demand, and said it may consider industrial action in the form of work-to-rule.
Health ministers have decided to proceed, saying £1.1 billion of additional funding has been invested to support the change.
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said: “We promised to tackle the 8am scramble and make it easier for patients to access their GP practice – and that's exactly what we're delivering.”
NHS England’s Dr Amanda Doyle said the step would help modernise general practice, while Jacob Lant of National Voices said online booking was “a fundamental building block of a 21st Century NHS.”
Practices must also now publish a new charter, “You and Your GP,” on their websites, setting out patient expectations and how feedback can be given.
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Nigel Farage speaks during the Reform UK party conference in Birmingham on September 6, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
Farage accuses Starmer of endangering Reform supporters with racism claims
Starmer urges voters to reject Reform and back Labour’s plan to “renew Britain”
Labour leader vows to act on illegal immigration while opposing racism
Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves warn of tough fiscal choices ahead
NIGEL FARAGE has rejected prime minister Keir Starmer’s criticism of Reform UK, saying accusations of racism were a “very, very low blow” that put his party’s supporters and campaigners at risk.
“To accuse countless millions of being racist is a very, very low blow,” Farage said on Tuesday. “It directly threatens the safety of our elected officials and our campaigners.”
Farage was responding after Starmer used Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool to attack Reform, accusing it of promoting “snake oil” and division.
Starmer calls for unity
Starmer urged working-class voters to reject Reform and instead back his vision of “a Britain built for all.” He appealed for patience with his Labour government, saying it was taking its first steps to “renew Britain.”
“No matter how many people tell me it can’t be done, I believe Britain can come together,” Starmer told delegates.
“We can all see our country faces a choice, a defining choice. Britain stands at a fork in the road. We can choose decency, or we can choose division. Renewal or decline,” he said.
Starmer also sought to claim patriotism for Labour, with Union flags waved in the hall. “For me, patriotism is about love and pride, about serving an interest that is more than yourself, a common good,” he said.
“And the question I ask seriously of Nigel Farage and Reform is, do they love our country … or do they just want to stir the pot of division, because that’s worked in their interests?”
Immigration and racism
Starmer said his government would act against illegal immigration but would also oppose racism and those “who say or imply the people cannot be English or British because of the colour of their skin.”
His remarks drew support from Labour members. “Farage doesn’t care about normal people, and it was important we get that message out,” said Shabaan Saleem, a 21-year-old Labour councillor.
Fiscal challenges ahead
Starmer also acknowledged tough economic choices. He said tax rises last year, the biggest in more than three decades, had been a one-off, but further increases could be needed to address a fiscal shortfall.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves warned against easing fiscal rules to allow more spending, saying those who pressed her to do so were “wrong, dangerously so,” leaving the option of tax rises on the table.
Starmer said Labour must be ready for difficult decisions. “It is a test. A fight for the soul of our country, every bit as big as rebuilding Britain after the war,” he said.
“And yet we need to be clear that our path, the path of renewal, it’s long, it’s difficult, it requires decisions that are not cost-free or easy. Decisions that will not always be comfortable for our party.”