Anna Birley

"We need a real sea change in understanding." The government will announce its long-awaited strategy to tackle violence against women and girls next week. Anna Birley, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, and Harriet Wistrich, founder of the Centre for Women's Justice, speak about what they would like to see within that strategy.

"Violence against women is a more reliable producer of reports than measures that might give sexual predators pause" - great piece from @polblonde theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

“Shame on him. Shame on him.” Baroness Kennedy KC criticises justice secretary David Lammy for “perpetuating a myth” about the backlog of rape cases to justify reducing the number of jury trials. @HelenaKennedyKC | @KateEMcCann

Time to turn words to action. The Govt commitment to halving VAWG is admirable but over a year later, where's the strategy or funding? I hope the Angiolini report part 2 will be accepted in full and that the funding will urgently be found to implement all her recommendations 3/3

We were promised that the awful murder of Sarah Everard was a turning point but countless women have been killed, attacked & harassed since while nothing has changed. A quarter of police forces haven't even implemented basic policies for investigating sexual offences. /2

Part 2 of the Angiolini report makes excellent recommendations and I welcome the focus on perpetrators not victims. But Lady Elish is spot on - any claim that cutting violence against women and girls is "just words" unless the funding is there to match. /1

The Prime Minister said in September that we are at a fork in the road. These asylum proposals suggest we have taken the wrong turning. The idea that recognised refugees need to be deported is wrong. We absolutely need immigration controls. And where those controls decide to grant asylum, we should welcome and integrate, not create perpetual limbo and alienation. The rhetoric around these reforms encourages the same culture of divisiveness that sees racism and abuse growing in our communities. The Government is wrong to think that reviews of safety in the person's country every few years will mean refugees can be returned at scale. That hasn't happened in Denmark. Brutal dictators tend to hang onto power. It would just move huge amounts of resource away from making our asylum system work as it should - by cutting initial decision delays and the appeals backlog, sorting out asylum accommodation, making the UK-France deal work, removing those whose claims fail etc. The Government must think again on this. theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/n…

Rowley is clearly deeply unserious about reform. Denying institutional racism, burying reports, failing to undertake the 2-year review post Casey, more concerned about reputation than tackling racism? Time to go. theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/o…

75% of Britons say they would support a wealth tax proposed by former Labour leader Lord Kinnock of 2% on wealth over £10 million Support: 75% Oppose: 13%

Have you seen missing Lillie Keane? The 16-year-old was last seen in the Beacon Road area of Chatham at around 7.30pm yesterday. She is 5ft 6in tall with straight blonde hair and green eyes. It is thought she may be wearing black denim shorts and a dark grey top with black trainers. If you have critical information regarding Lillie’s whereabouts, please call 999. If you have any other information to help locate Lillie, please use the live chat function on the Kent Police website or call them. Use reference 02-1976 when reporting information to help find the missing teen.

🚨New: FTSE 100 CEOs will make more money by noon today than the average UK worker will in the whole year.

This year, let’s commit to creating a safer world for women and girls. Starting with tackling misogyny in society and education from a young age, we can build a future rooted in respect

Happy 180th Birthday to the co-operative movement!! 🥳 @coopuk can trace its roots back to the first store opening in Rochdale on 21 December 1844. Co-operatives are a different way of doing business as the excellent article below by @coopnews describes👇💙

Unexpectedly emotional about the Assisted Dying bill vote today. I'm thinking about my brother who died a painful and undignified death from terminal bowel cancer, despite exceptional palliative care. I'm hopeful others will have end of life choices that weren't available to him

Whatever your view on assisted dying, this Commons debate has shown MPs at their best: thoughtful, measured, respectful, non-partisan. A good antidote to those who think they're all in it for themselves. theguardian.com/society/2024/n…

Businesses are far less likely to survive the Brexit that Gail's chairman backed or the effects of climate change which he denies than the employment bill. Only businesses exploiting their staff with unfair t&cs will lose out when their employees' rights at work are strengthened

Factcheck: Maternity pay has existed since 1911 & is essential for women to make informed, supported reproductive choices. It is also currently at a level where 71% of women worry 'a lot' about money during maternity leave and 35% of new mothers skip meals to afford to live.

🎶Solidarity forever 🎶 #payfairforpatientcare

Couzens, Carrick, now Tyrell. No wonder Casey called the Parliamentary & Diplomatic Protection Unit the Met's "dark corner". Progress on the recs in Casey's Report is too little & too slow. Rowley should justify why he hasn't disbanded the unit altogether theguardian.com/uk-news/articl…

narrator: Labour set to rebalance tax system somewhat from income to wealth after decades of extreme house price growth that has left under-35s locked out of the property market