Nigel Farage 'can't stand having bodyguards'

UKIP leader Nigel Farage on having bodyguards: "I can't stand it. I've always been a free spirit"

UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage says he is facing the threat of violence from organisations "headed up by senior Labour Party figures".

Mr Farage told the BBC he "can't stand" having to travel with bodyguards as he has "always been a free spirit".

He denied accusing Labour of organising violence but said some trade union-funded anti-fascist groups had "acted in a violent way more than once".

Hope not Hate and Unite against Fascism both rejected Mr Farage's claims.

BBC Sunday Politics host Andrew Neil had asked Mr Farage about the impact on family life of having to travel with four bodyguards.

Mr Farage said: "I can't stand it. I've always been a free spirit that's wandered about the place and done my own thing.

"Sadly we have a a couple of organisations out there headed up by senior Labour Party figures, who purport to be against fascism and extremism, who receive funding from the Department of Communities, who receive funding from the trade unions, who have acted in a violent way more than once."

Asked if he was accusing the Labour Party of organising the violence, he said: "No. I said Unite against Fascism and Hope not Hate are taxpayer-funded, they are trade union-funded, they are headed up by very senior Labour figures.

"I'm perfectly happy for them to come to my meetings and have an argument with me but it's not so much fun when they're banging you over the head with banners."

Racist adverts

The Hope Not Hate campaign group, whose patrons include Labour peer Baroness Kinnock, said Mr Farage's claim that he faced the threat of violence from its members was "wrong".

The group's spokesman, Duncan Cahill, said: "Nigel Farage once more gets the facts wrong. We want people to vote against him and it's as simple as that."

Unite Against Fascism, whose officers include the Labour MP Peter Hain said it "completely refutes" claims by Mr Farage that he faces the threat of violence from the group.

Mr Hain said the UKIP leader's claims were "nonsense" and said he was "proud" to be part of the organisation.

Its joint national secretary, Weyman Bennett, said that if UKIP "put up racist advertisements" and its candidates made homophobic comments, "a large proportion of the population will find exception to it".

"If he's unpopular it's because he's been using the politics of scapegoating and that has brought a response from the very people he's been targeting," he said.

He added: "It's astonishing a politician would attack an anti-racist, anti-fascist organisation rather than deal with the fact that by playing the race card, he's igniting the same issue as Enoch Powell."

Mr Bennett also denied the organisation had received any government funding. He said Unite Against Fascism would be writing to Mr Farage to demand that he retract his claims.

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'Rich List' counts more than 100 UK billionaires

Sir Richard Branson is worth £3.6bn according to the list.

The number of billionaires living in the UK has risen to more than 100 for the first time, according to the 2014 Sunday Times Rich List.

There are now 104 billionaires based in the UK with a combined wealth of more than £301bn, the list says.

That means the UK has more billionaires per head of population than any other country.

London has more billionaires than any other city in the world with 72 - far ahead of nearest rival Moscow with 48.

The Indian-born brothers Sri and Gopie Hinduja - who run the conglomerate Hinduja Group - top the list with a fortune of £11.9bn.

Arsenal shareholder and Russian business magnate Alisher Usmanov fell to second after his estimated fortune dropped to £10.65bn.

Rising fortunes

The number of billionaires living in the UK has jumped from 88 in 2013, according to the Sunday Times.

Their combined wealth has also reportedly shot up from £245bn last year.

It is the first time since 2008 that the minimum wealth of the 50 richest people in the UK has exceeded £1.5bn.

A fortune of £1.7bn is now required to make the top 50 - up from £700m 10 years ago.

New members of the list include West End producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, who is now worth £1bn, and Jon Hunt, the founder of estate agents Foxtons who is worth £1.07bn.

The wealthiest new entry is Carrie and Francois Perrodo and their family, who own the London-based Perenco oil and gas operation and are worth an estimated £6.14bn.

Philip Beresford, who compiles the list, told the BBC "culture, financial services, nice tax regime, good education for their kids and a nice lifestyle where they meet their friends" were among the reasons billionaires were attracted to the UK.

BBC financial correspondent Andrew Verity said the increase in the number of billionaires on the list undermined the argument that making them pay more tax would drive them away.

This included efforts to impose capital gains tax (CGT) on property owned by foreigners who are not resident in the UK, said our correspondent.

Rich List author Philip Beresford explains why the super rich love London
In spite of the fact that many of Britain's richest people are "domiciled" abroad for tax purposes, many of the UK's 123,000 "non-doms" were resident here and so the measure did not apply to them, he added.

Other notable figures on the list include Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich (£8.52bn), Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley (£3.75bn) and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson (£3.6bn).

Plymouth-born Chris Dawson, who owns and runs The Range discount store chain, saw his fortune rise by £695m in the past 12 months to net £1.28bn.

The full Sunday Times Rich List is published on 18 May.

Top 25

1. Sri and Gopi Hinduja, £11.9bn, up £1.3bn

2. Alisher Usmanov, £10.65bn, down £2.65bn

3. Lakshmi Mittal and family, £10.25bn, up £250m

4. Len Blavatnik, £10bn, down £1bn

5. Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli, £9.75bn, up £2.35bn

6. John Fredriksen and family, £9.25bn, up £450m

7. David and Simon Reuben, £9bn, up £719m

8. Kirsten and Jorn Rausing, £8.8bn, up £3.69bn

9. Roman Abramovich, £8.52bn, down £780m

10. The Duke of Westminster, £8.5bn, up £700m

11. Galen, Hilary and George Weston and family, £7.3bn, up £650m

12. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho, £6.36bn, down £635m

13. Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber and family, £6.16bn, up £1.65bn

14. Carrie and Francois Perrodo and family, £6.14bn, new

15. German Khan, £6.08bn, new

16. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, £6bn, up £3.65bn

17. Hans Rausing and family £5.9bn, up £1.18bn

18. Nicky Oppenheimer and family, £4.57bn, up £785m

19. Earl Cadogan and family, £4.2bn, up £525m

20. Joseph Lau and family, £4.03bn, down £570m

21. Sir Philip and Lady Green £3.88bn, no change

22. Denis O'Brien, £3.85bn, up £486m

23. Mike Ashley, £3.75bn, up £1.45bn

24. Sir Richard Branson and family, £3.6bn, up £86m

25. Idan Ofer, £3.43bn, new

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BBC Radio Devon DJ David Lowe loses job over racist word

Mr Lowe said he had made an "innocent mistake"

A veteran BBC local radio DJ has lost his job after playing a song on his golden oldies show containing a racist word.

BBC Radio Devon DJ David Lowe, 68, said he was unaware that a 1932 version of The Sun Has Got His Hat On included the n-word.

Mr Lowe, a broadcaster for 32 years, said it was an "innocent mistake".

He said BBC bosses declined his idea of an on-air apology, and his offer to "fall on my sword" was accepted.

The BBC said it accepted that the situation could have been handled better, and offered freelance Mr Lowe his job back.

'Political correctness'

But the DJ said the incident had exacerbated a stress-related condition and he would not be returning to the corporation.

The second verse of the song, recorded by the UK dance band Ambrose and his Orchestra, features the line: "He's been tanning [n-word] out in Timbuktu, now he's coming back to do the same to you." Later versions of the song omit the offensive word.

The BBC took action after a listener heard the song - part of Mr Lowe's private record collection, broadcast on his self-produced Sunday night programme - and complained.

Mr Lowe, a broadcaster with Radio Devon for nearly 14 years, told BBC News he had written an "unreserved apology" for use on air which he submitted to BBC managers after the song was played on 27 April.

"I offered to apologise or to fall on my sword," he said. "Unfortunately the BBC decided on the latter option. I don't have any quarrels with any of my colleagues. It's the system of political correctness which has turned this into a rather badly-handled affair.

"I think we're all too ready to bow to political correctness. One feels one is following a verbal tightrope, even in casual conversation."

Mr Lowe, whose show was heard on BBC Local Radio stations across the West and South West, added: "I made a silly mistake, my first error in more than 30 years of broadcasting. I am deeply embarrassed by it."

He said a health problem which caused tremors in his limbs had been exacerbated by the "stress" of the situation.

'Very sad'

"It was a magnanimous decision of the BBC to offer my job back and if not for the impact this has had on my health I would have accepted, but my health comes first," he said.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We have offered David Lowe the opportunity to continue presenting his Singers and Swingers show, and we would be happy to have him back on air.

Mr Clarkson responded in a video on Twitter saying he loathed the word
"We accept that the conversation with David about the mistake could have been handled better, but if he chooses not to continue then we would like to thank him for his time presenting on the station and wish him well for the future."

Roy Corlett, former manager at BBC Radio Devon, said: "It's very sad that his broadcasting career has apparently come to an end because of a misunderstanding.

"He was probably treated rather badly for someone who has been at the BBC for a long time. Local radio relies on people to produce interesting programmes like this; they do it for a sense of involvement in their community, and they should be treated with due care."

Fan Marie Trueman, 78, from Exminster, said: "A lot of people over 70 love the songs he plays. His show is a big favourite of mine and something I look forward to.

"I would love to see him back and I am quite upset that he's gone over an innocent mistake anyone could have made."

The incident comes after calls to sack the Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson were resisted by the BBC, despite unbroadcast footage showing him apparently using the n-word. He has since apologised.

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Coalition row over school places funding

A row has broken out in the coalition over school places funding in England, with allies of Lib Dem Deputy PM Nick Clegg accusing Conservative Education Secretary Michael Gove of "lunacy".

Lib Dem sources say 30,000 local authority places are being lost as money is diverted to new free schools.

They said Mr Gove was "ideologically obsessed" about backing free schools.

Tory education sources called the Lib Dems "pathetic", saying more school places were being created overall.

Asked about the issue on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, David Cameron said free schools were "an excellent innovation" and he would "get on with delivering what matters, which is good schools for our children".

'Pet projects'

The Liberal Democrat's deputy leader, Malcolm Bruce, said the budget for free schools was "completely out of control" and accused the education secretary of being "monetarily obsessed".

He told the BBC: "He [Mr Gove] is basically raiding money that should be going to the vast majority of schools that have real needs for a small number of free schools, many of which are in places where there isn't a pressure or a need."

Prime Minister David Cameron says that he believes free schools are "an excellent innovation"
Mr Bruce added: "Michael Gove needs to be reined back, the programme needs to be properly costed and controlled."

The row is not the first within the coalition government over education policy.

But BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the "striking" language used was evidence that both parts of the coalition were becoming more willing to air their disagreements and grievances in public a year ahead of the general election and less than two weeks before local and European elections.

According to sources in Mr Clegg's office, last December Mr Gove overruled the Lib Dem schools minister David Laws to take £400m from the Basic Need Budget for 2015-17.

They claim the money was diverted to help cover a projected £800m overspend between 2013 and 2016 in the budget of free schools - a project close to Mr Gove's heart.

Free schools can be set up by parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts, religious or voluntary groups, but are funded directly by central government. There are currently 174 free schools in England with another 116 approved to open from this September.

A Lib Dem source said the Conservatives were "putting the needs of a handful of their pet projects ahead of the requirements of the other 24,000 schools in the country".

"Michael Gove was warned by the schools minister David Laws that this was a bad idea but the zealot pressed on anyway," said the source.

'Risible'

Mr Gove's allies say the Basic Need Budget will still rise by more than £200m a year in 2015-17 and argue that expansion of free schools will lead to more school places overall.

Conservatives accused Lib Dems of trying to divert attention from their "botched school food policy"
Research last month highlighted by the Labour Party suggested the government was currently funding free schools for 1,500 more pupils than were actually attending.

A spokesman for Mr Gove disputed the claim by critics of free schools that the places being created were not necessarily where they were most needed.

He said: "The suggestion we are cutting money for new places in areas of need to pay for free schools where they are not needed is totally wrong.

"These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true."

The row comes days after emails leaked to the BBC indicated senior Department for Education officials had raised concerns school places may have to be cut if the Lib Dems' free school meals policy for infant children was implemented.

A Conservative source at the Department for Education said: "This is a pathetic attempt by the Lib Dems to divert attention from their botched school food policy which councils are being forced to fund by cutting money for school places.

"They opted for free schools and backed them from the start. For the Lib Dems to attack them now is frankly risible."

Labour's shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, said free schools "had the Lib Dem stamp of approval from day one.

"They're as much to blame for the failings as the Tories."

Mr Hunt said there was a "national crisis" over primary school places and said the secretary of state was behaving irresponsibly.

'Inadequate'

The Lib Dems and Tories have also previously clashed over the employment of classroom staff without formal teaching qualifications and Mr Gove's decision not to re-appoint Labour peer Sally Morgan to watchdog Ofsted.

Two days ago, a report by a cross-party group of MPs said financial management of some free schools was inadequate.

The Public Accounts Committee said procedures were "overly reliant" on whistleblowers to uncover financial problems.

The government said many of the committee's concerns were "misplaced".

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Mike Epps Not Charged But Lectured For Allegedly Punching A Woman

Mike Epps will not face criminal charges for allegedly punching a woman in the face at a movie premiere party ... but he's not completely off the hook -- and neither is the alleged victim.We broke the story ... Simone Shepherd says she got into it with Epps' wife at the "Haunted House 2" premiere party ...and claims Epps hauled off and smacked her in the face.Mike insists he never laid a finger on her ... but Shepherd showed us photos of her swollen jaw and claims the injuries were courtesy of Epps.Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Epps won't be charged, but he's been ordered to attend a City Attorney hearing -- where he'll be lectured on the law and the importance of keeping the peace.But get this ... Shepherd -- who claims she's the victim in all this -- has been ordered to attend one of those hearings as well.

____________________________________



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Mike Epps Not Charged But Lectured For Allegedly Punching A Woman

Mike Epps will not face criminal charges for allegedly punching a woman in the face at a movie premiere party ... but he's not completely off the hook -- and neither is the alleged victim.We broke the story ... Simone Shepherd says she got into it with Epps' wife at the "Haunted House 2" premiere party ...and claims Epps hauled off and smacked her in the face.Mike insists he never laid a finger on her ... but Shepherd showed us photos of her swollen jaw and claims the injuries were courtesy of Epps.Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Epps won't be charged, but he's been ordered to attend a City Attorney hearing -- where he'll be lectured on the law and the importance of keeping the peace.But get this ... Shepherd -- who claims she's the victim in all this -- has been ordered to attend one of those hearings as well.
____________________________________

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Coalition row over school places funding

A row has broken out in the coalition over school places funding in England, with allies of Lib Dem Deputy PM Nick Clegg accusing Conservative Education Secretary Michael Gove of "lunacy".

Lib Dem sources say 30,000 local authority places are being lost as money is diverted to new free schools.

They said Mr Gove was "ideologically obsessed" about backing free schools.

Tory education sources called the Lib Dems "pathetic", saying more school places were being created overall.

Asked about the issue on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, David Cameron said free schools were "an excellent innovation" and he would "get on with delivering what matters, which is good schools for our children".

'Pet projects'

The Liberal Democrat's deputy leader, Malcolm Bruce, said the budget for free schools was "completely out of control" and accused the education secretary of being "monetarily obsessed".

He told the BBC: "He [Mr Gove] is basically raiding money that should be going to the vast majority of schools that have real needs for a small number of free schools, many of which are in places where there isn't a pressure or a need."

Prime Minister David Cameron says that he believes free schools are "an excellent innovation"
Mr Bruce added: "Michael Gove needs to be reined back, the programme needs to be properly costed and controlled."

The row is not the first within the coalition government over education policy.

But BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the "striking" language used was evidence that both parts of the coalition were becoming more willing to air their disagreements and grievances in public a year ahead of the general election and less than two weeks before local and European elections.

According to sources in Mr Clegg's office, last December Mr Gove overruled the Lib Dem schools minister David Laws to take £400m from the Basic Need Budget for 2015-17.

They claim the money was diverted to help cover a projected £800m overspend between 2013 and 2016 in the budget of free schools - a project close to Mr Gove's heart.

Free schools can be set up by parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts, religious or voluntary groups, but are funded directly by central government. There are currently 174 free schools in England with another 116 approved to open from this September.

A Lib Dem source said the Conservatives were "putting the needs of a handful of their pet projects ahead of the requirements of the other 24,000 schools in the country".

"Michael Gove was warned by the schools minister David Laws that this was a bad idea but the zealot pressed on anyway," said the source.

'Risible'

Mr Gove's allies say the Basic Need Budget will still rise by more than £200m a year in 2015-17 and argue that expansion of free schools will lead to more school places overall.

Conservatives accused Lib Dems of trying to divert attention from their "botched school food policy"
Research last month highlighted by the Labour Party suggested the government was currently funding free schools for 1,500 more pupils than were actually attending.

A spokesman for Mr Gove disputed the claim by critics of free schools that the places being created were not necessarily where they were most needed.

He said: "The suggestion we are cutting money for new places in areas of need to pay for free schools where they are not needed is totally wrong.

"These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true."

The row comes days after emails leaked to the BBC indicated senior Department for Education officials had raised concerns school places may have to be cut if the Lib Dems' free school meals policy for infant children was implemented.

A Conservative source at the Department for Education said: "This is a pathetic attempt by the Lib Dems to divert attention from their botched school food policy which councils are being forced to fund by cutting money for school places.

"They opted for free schools and backed them from the start. For the Lib Dems to attack them now is frankly risible."

Labour's shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, said free schools "had the Lib Dem stamp of approval from day one.

"They're as much to blame for the failings as the Tories."

Mr Hunt said there was a "national crisis" over primary school places and said the secretary of state was behaving irresponsibly.

'Inadequate'

The Lib Dems and Tories have also previously clashed over the employment of classroom staff without formal teaching qualifications and Mr Gove's decision not to re-appoint Labour peer Sally Morgan to watchdog Ofsted.

Two days ago, a report by a cross-party group of MPs said financial management of some free schools was inadequate.

The Public Accounts Committee said procedures were "overly reliant" on whistleblowers to uncover financial problems.

The government said many of the committee's concerns were "misplaced".
____________________________________

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