Tommy Robinson, also known as Stephen Yaxley Lennon, has been acquitted of charges related to failing to comply with a dispersal order after a rally against antisemitism near the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The verdict was passed due to a paperwork error by a senior Metropolitan Police officer, Inspector Steve Parker-Phipps, who inaccurately dated the dispersal order form. District Judge Daniel Sternberg ruled that there was no legal authorization for the arrest or the dispersal order.

Robinson attended the demonstration despite being unwelcome by organizers and claimed to have been present as a journalist. During his arrest, the interaction, which involved the use of synthetic pepper spray and handcuffs, was captured on social media. There were several procedural errors noted in the handling of the event by the police, leading to doubts about the lawfulness of the dispersal order under the Crime and Policing Act 2014.

In Scotland, the Covid-19 inquiry has exposed the pre-existing vulnerabilities in the social care sector that were exacerbated during the pandemic. Rozanne Foyer, General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), testified about the negative impacts of funding cuts, changes to migration rules, and poor planning on the sector’s preparedness for the pandemic. Foyer described a ‘burnout pandemic’ among staff, pointing out the high rate of Covid-19 infections and deaths among health and social care workers. The inquiry also addressed issues within the prison system highlighted by John Cairney of the Prison Officers’ Association Scotland, focusing on the challenges faced by prison staff in managing safety measures amid the pandemic. The ongoing inquiry continues to reveal the broader impact of the virus and the systemic shortcomings that contributed to the crisis.