Parliament to be recalled to debate nationalising British Steel
The government will table a bill to take control of British Steel as MPs are recalled from recess for an extraordinary Saturday sitting to debate the future of the beleaguered firm.
Downing Street on Friday stopped short of saying it would nationalise the firm, but said its emergency bill will give ministers “the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site”.
It means MPs will be recalled on a Saturday during recess for the first time since the Falklands War began in 1982,
Talks have been ongoing in a bid to secure the future of British Steel and prevent heavy job losses.
The Chinese owner of the Scunthorpe-based business plans to close the blast furnaces and switch to a greener form of production.
And, announcing the recall, a Downing Street spokesman said: “The prime minister has been clear, his government will always act in the national interest. All actions we take are in the name of British industry, British jobs and for British workers.
“Tomorrow Parliament will be recalled to debate the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill.
“The Bill provides the government with the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site. It enables the UK government to preserve capability and ensure public safety. It also ensures all options remain viable for the future of the plant and the livelihoods it supports.
“We have been negotiating with British Steel’s owners in good faith ever since coming to office. We have always been clear there is a bright future for steel in the UK. All options remain on the table.”
Parliament closed for the Easter recess on Tuesday, but MPs will be recalled on Saturday to discuss plans for the company.
Ministers have said all options are on the table for its future, including nationalisation, over concerns its closure would leave the UK without any domestic virgin steel makers.
A message sent to Labour MPs, seen by The Independent, said they will be asked to support the government passing “emergency legislation”, with whips demanding to know their locations and whether they will be available to vote.
Business and trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and officials met with the chief executives of Jingye and British Steel on Wednesday for discussions on steelmaking in Scunthorpe.
The Chinese firm has said it has invested more than £1.2 billion into British Steel to maintain operations and claims it suffered financial losses of around £700,000 a day.
A statement after the meeting said “both sides welcomed continued cooperation in talks to find a way forward”.
Talks were set to resume on Friday, with the government coming under mounting pressure to nationalise the plant.
The Saturday sitting will begin at 11am, when MPs will debate “legislative proposals to ensure the continued operation of British Steel blast furnaces is safeguarded”, according to the office of Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker.
In a letter to MPs, Sir Lindsay said he was satisfied the “public interest” requires the recall.
Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of steelworkers’ union Community, said: “We welcome this decision to recall Parliament.
“It is in the national interest that a solution is found to secure a future for British Steel as a vital strategic business.
“We can’t allow Britain to become the only G7 country without primary steelmaking capacity.
“In the absence of a deal with Jingye to continue blast furnace operations at Scunthorpe as part of a transition to greener steelmaking, it is essential that we see urgent action taken to bring British Steel into public ownership.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for the Government to nationalise steelmaking in Scunthorpe by the end of this week after he toured the giant plant on Tuesday.
Responding to Downing Street’s announcement, he said: “China has no interest in keeping the steelworks open. Reform have been clear from the start that the only option we have to save this vital strategic asset, and thousands of jobs in the process, is to nationalise British Steel.
“We are calling on the government to do the right thing tomorrow and bring it back into public ownership.”
US boasts ‘leverage’ over Moscow as envoy meets Putin for talks – live
US president Donald Trump will use his influence over Russia to negotiate a peace deal, his spokeswoman has insisted, as his special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with President Vladimir Putin.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said: “We believe we have leverage in negotiating a deal to a peace deal, and we’re going to use that leverage, and the president is determined to see this through.”
Earlier, Mr Trump warned on social media that “Russia has to get moving” on a ceasefire.
He posted: “Russia has to get moving. Too many people ere DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war.”
Top US diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff has been in talks with Mr Putin for more than two hours. The pair shook hands when they first met in St Petersburg.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Western allies have agreed a record £18 billion (€21bn) of military support for Kyiv, Britain has announced.
UK defence secretary John Healey opened the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels with a plea to his fellow defence ministers to “step up our support for Ukraine in the fight”. Mr Healey added: “2025 is the critical year for the war in Ukraine, and this is the critical moment.”
The McIlroy gamble that salvaged Masters dream
Tormented on Thursday after a rotten three-hole spell, a radiant Rory McIlroy produced a stunning six-under par second round of 66 to reignite hopes of a Masters title.
Those two double-bogeys on 15 and 17 frittered away his tidy work in Round 1 and a sense of deja vu left his legion of fans cursing. The Northern Irishman slipped away from the property without even a word for the media, evidently livid after scuppering such a glorious opportunity to stake a claim for that elusive green jacket.
Seven shots behind Justin Rose was a concern, but perhaps four behind the champion, Scottie Scheffler, riled him further. After all, there’s only so much you can do when chasing the American if he continues to plot his way around this course with such ease.
Fireworks were required on Friday, then, yet beyond chopping down the par-five second for birdie, McIlroy displayed the patience and mental fortitude that evaded him on that costly opening back nine, making seven consecutive pars.
“You have to focus on executing the best shots you can,” Bryson DeChambeau, one shot better off than McIlroy at -7, said, echoing the unseen battle from within around this majestic yet torturous corner of Georgia. “It’s cliched, but you have to stay incredibly patient, hit it in the middle of the greens.”
And McIlroy then stirred on 10 after carefully negotiating a front nine without making a major move, and that birdie sparked him into life before tackling his nemesis: Amen Corner. A second straight birdie on the 11th, White Dogwood, sent a crackle of roars swirling around Augusta, yet the final hole of this legendary swing, the 13th, revealed just why the 35-year-old has proven so alluring to fans throughout his rollercoaster career. And, ultimately, the decisive decision and shot of this round, which could define his week, his year and even his career after clambering back into the chase.
A typically booming 331-yard drive leaked out to the right, nestling in the pine straw, leaving a daunting 214 yards to the flag.
The notorious creek stood between McIlroy and the green, ready to swallow his ball and derail his charge with one misstep. A lay-up was surely the smart play. Indeed, it was for the brawn of DeChambeau just a few minutes later, without reward, with just a par.
Yet McIlroy, with a sawn-off iron, whipping those hands out to the left, appeared to come out of the shot with a grimace, yet the distance was almost perfect as the ball settled pin-high and just nine feet away. Relief poured out of McIlroy, hunched over with his arms dangling down. And just a moment later he was able to roll in the eagle putt to get to five-under. And he would later admit there was an element of luck to his score.
“I think I had to remind myself this morning that I played really well yesterday,” McIlroy said. “Before what happened on 15 and 17, I played 16 really good holes. If I pushed too much at the start I knew I could make a few bogeys, so it was about letting the birdies come to me and then there was that really nice stretch through Amen Corner.
“Out of the pine straw two holes in a row, I rode my luck a little bit today. And on 14 I was lucky to get a backswing, I hit a good shot and was lucky to walk away with a par there, but I kept the momentum.
“I don’t think I proved anything, if anything just backed up the belief I have in myself and the belief that I’m as resilient as anyone else out here.”
But the gamble did pay off and evidently it was time to discard the patient approach to launch himself back into contention. Yes, the execution was not exactly how he intended, but the reward was too great to him in that moment.
Another birdie came at 15, banishing the demons of Thursday to reassert that superpower to score so fluently on those par fives.
That fine work almost unravelled on the way home again. Handed a testing six-footer on 16, the wind changed direction as he stood over the putt. Maturity and perhaps a lesson from Thursday ensured no damage though. McIlroy backed off, repeated his routine and then buried the putt.
A round of 66 in the bag, yet barely a smile spread over his face as he bounded away from the 18th green. Satisfied, yes, but aware of the colossal challenge that awaits him this weekend. Sometimes you need to know when to roll the dice.
Scheffler appeared poised to hunt down McIlroy and leader Rose after reaching -6 through eight holes, but a sloppy back nine proved costly.
The defending champion sent one shot into the flowers at 12, before a miraculous chip-in for birdie, another into the water on 13 before a par save and then a final errant ball into the bushes on 18, resulting in a bogey, forcing the world No. 1 to settle for a 71 to sit -5 and three shots back in a tie for fifth.
Tyrrell Hatton slipped off the pace with bogeys on 16 and 17 but remains in the hunt at -5 alongside Shane Lowry. While Jason Day, making his first bogey of the tournament on the 18th, is one shot further back on -4 alongside a rejuvenated Viktor Hovland.
Brooks Koepka endured a nightmare finish, making bogey before an eight on 18 to miss the cut by three shots at +5, though Nick Dunlap recovered from a disastrous 90 in round one to shoot a one-under par round of 71 in the second biggest score difference between first and second rounds in the tournament’s history.
Mother arrested for theft after confiscating children’s iPads
A history teacher has said she was arrested and barred from seeing her own daughters after she confiscated their iPads.
Vanessa Brown, 50, told LBC that she spent over seven hours in a cell last month as Surrey police investigated a claim that she had stolen the tablets.
She says she was then released on bail conditions which barred her from speaking to her own children – as they were connected to the investigation.
The case was later dropped as police confirmed the iPads belonged to her children.
She told LBC of her “unspeakable devastation and trauma” which has followed after she confiscated the iPads to encourage her daughters to focus on their school work.
She told LBC: “At no point did [the officers] think to themselves, ‘Oh, this is a little bit of an overreaction for a moment, confiscating temporarily her [own] iPads and popping over to her mum’s to have a coffee’. It was just a complete overreaction.”
She added: “It was thoroughly unprofessional. They were speaking to my mother, who is in her 80s, like she was a criminal.”
Surrey police told LBC that they begun a search operation on March 26 after receiving a report of theft from a man in his 40s, having already been called out to a “concern for safety”.
Officers tracked the location of the iPads to Ms Brown’s mother’s house, where they asked her where the devices were.
When she said she did not know where they were, police arrested her on suspicion of theft before searching and finding the iPads.
A police spokesperson told LBC: “The woman was subsequently released on conditional bail while further enquiries were carried out. The police bail conditions included not speaking to her daughters, who were connected to the investigation, while officers carried out their enquiries.
“Following these enquiries, officers discovered that the iPads belonged to the woman’s children and that she was entitled to confiscate items from her own children.”
Ms Brown also said her child was pulled out of school by the police – who told The Guardian this was done in relation to the initial concern for safety.
Ms Brown said: “They were able to send a police car with police officers to my children’s school, they were able to send another police car or two to arrest me… I know people are making reports of thefts, of assaults and very violent crimes in and around our neighbourhood – and they’re not getting a response for days.
“I cannot get to the bottom of why [my arrest] was done in such a quick turnaround – maybe less than an hour. All these police cars and police officers going into address over a completely false report of a theft.”
The Independent has tried to contact Surrey Police for a comment.
Nursery worker charged over death of ‘beautiful’ toddler
A 22-year-old nursery worker has been charged following the death of a “beautiful, happy and easy-going” 14-month-old boy in Dudley.
Noah Sibanda died following an incident at Fairytales Day Nursery in Bourne Street on December 9, 2022, prompting West Midlands Police to launch an investigation.
Kimberley Cookson, who was a nursery practitioner, has been charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Fairytales Nursery Limited has been charged with one count of corporate manslaughter and failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act, prosecutors said.
The CPS added that Deborah Latewood, 54, who was the director and business owner, has been charged with one count of failing to comply with general duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Noah’s parents paid tribute to him through police, saying: “Noah was a beautiful, happy and easy-going little boy and we miss him very much.”
The nursery was closed by Ofsted, along with other linked premises, on December 14 2022, after the watchdog said “children may be at risk of harm” and suspended its registration.
Six women were initially arrested in connection with the investigation in the weeks after Noah’s death.
Police said the four others who were arrested would face no further action.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by West Midlands Police, we have authorised criminal charges in relation to the death of a 14-month-old child at a nursery in Dudley.
“Our thoughts remain with the family of Noah Sibanda at this time.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
The defendants will appear at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on May 13.
The global event bringing fresh energy to planet-positive solutions
As we navigate significant environmental and social challenges, the return of ChangeNOW, the world’s biggest expo of solutions for the planet, is much needed to reinvigorate climate action. The 2025 edition, which will take place from April 24th to 26th, will host 140 countries, 40,000 attendees, 10,000 companies and 1,200 investors.
Visionary leaders, established businesses and start-ups alike will gather to showcase over 1,000 sustainable solutions and groundbreaking innovations in key sectors such as clean energy, biodiversity, sustainable cities and the circular economy.
The ChangeNOW 2025 summit will be held at the iconic Grand Palais in Paris, a nod to the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Reuniting for the occasion will be guest speakers Mary Robinson, the former (and first female) president of Ireland, Laurent Fabius, former French prime minister, Patricia Espinosa, former UN climate chief and diplomat and Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, leading climate scientist and professor – all of whom were in the French capital a decade earlier to help shape the Paris Agreement at COP21.
There may have been obvious setbacks to environmental policy around the world of late, the United States’ recent withdrawal from the Paris Agreement being a notable one. However ChangeNOW 2025 intends to reaffirm the spirit of Paris, while serving as a catalyst for progress ahead of COP30 and the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC). “Ten years after COP21, ChangeNOW is where leaders and changemakers converge to accelerate the ecological and social transition,” states Santiago Lefebvre, founder and president of ChangeNOW. “Thousands of solutions will be showcased demonstrating that meaningful progress is within reach.”
His message of positive climate action will be supported by a multitude of world famous faces who will be in attendance at the auspicious event. Natalie Portman, Academy award-winning actress, director, author, activist, and producer; Captain Paul Watson, Founder of Sea Shepherd and Ocean Conservationist; Hannah Jones, CEO of The Earthshot Prize and Olympic champion boxer and gender equality advocate Imane Khelif are just a few of the names set to appear at ChangeNOW 2025.
With over 500 speakers and 250 conference sessions exploring climate action, biodiversity protection, resource management, and social inclusion, ChangeNOW 2025 will also hear the insights of acclaimed corporate leaders from Accor, Bouygues, Henkel, Lidl, Nexans, and Saint-Gobain, who will explain how businesses can be the ones to drive real change.
And the event will not only be an opportunity for global policymakers to discuss next steps in climate action, it will also be a platform for nations to showcase local innovations through their country pavilions. Expect impactful solutions from countries including South Africa, The Netherlands, and Ukraine – demonstrating international collaboration on the topic of climate.
In addition to the packed program of speakers, workshops, exhibits and networking opportunities, ChangeNOW 2025 will host the Impact Job Fair on Saturday, 26 April, with over 150 recruiters and training organisations offering in excess of 600 roles. Dedicated to the public and young professionals, the interactive workshops, educational activities, and career opportunities in sustainable sectors on offer aim to inspire the next generation of changemakers.
The summit will also present the annual Women for Change conference and the accompanying portrait exhibition, which showcases 25 women who are set to have a significant positive impact on their communities, countries or on a global scale over the next 10 years. Created in 2021, the Women for Change initiative aims to platform and provide opportunities for women who are leading change around the world but require further recognition or investment to continue their work. The annual flagship event, which takes place on the afternoon of April 24th, offers women the chance to discuss new ideas, network with likeminded people, and also acquire funding to help solidify their leadership, and amplify their impact.
Step outside the Grand Palais and take a few steps to the Port des Champs Elysées, on the bank of the Seine, where the The Water Odyssey village awaits. One of the event’s standout features, the immersive 1,000 m² exhibition is open to the public and highlights solutions to maritime and river sustainability challenges – offering a mix of conferences, interactive displays, and sensory experiences to engage all ages.
For three days, ChangeNOW will transform Paris into the global capital of impact, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and the public in the pursuit of sustainable progress.
Book your ChangeNOW 2025 ticket here
Has the government given up on the grooming gang inquiries?
There is confusion about the government’s attitude to the local inquiries into the notorious activities of grooming gangs that sexually abused girls over many years. Many of the cases have involved men of Pakistani origin or heritage, with the victims young white girls.
Often the crimes took place in towns in the north of England, though there were also notable examples in Telford and Oxford. Because of the extreme and sadistic sexual violence employed by these groups, they are also described as “rape gangs”.
The matter has for a long time been fiercely controversial, with allegations that the authorities ignored the plight of the victims, and that the police, social workers and politicians were complicit. In recent days, the government has been accused of dropping the local inquiries that were promised by the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, in January. Some people are outraged; others are asking for a national inquiry…
It seems not, but it certainly allowed that impression to be formed. Under intense attack from the opposition and persistent questioning by the media, Cooper has insisted that the local inquiries into grooming gangs in five towns are still going ahead.
A number of factors. Earlier this month, the lawyer charged with helping set up the local inquiries, Tom Crowther KC (who chaired the 2022 inquiry into the Telford gangs), told a Commons select committee that he had been given little information about the role, and had needed to ask a civil servant “Do you still want me?”
It didn’t help that only one location out of the five – Oldham – was identified in January, and that none have been earmarked since for the “rapid” review, suggesting a certain lack of urgency. Seizing on the issue, the shadow Home Office minister, Katie Lam, demanded answers.
Unfortunately, when the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, made her “update” statement to the Commons, she didn’t say much about the local inquiries, and just confirmed that the £5m was still available. She also made her statement on the final day of the parliamentary session before the Easter recess, which made critics suspicious that the government was trying to sneak bad news out.
What Phillips said on 8 April was: “We will set out the process through which local authorities can access the £5m national fund to support locally led work on grooming gangs. Following feedback from local authorities, the fund will adopt a flexible approach to support both full independent local inquiries and more bespoke work, including local victims’ panels or locally led audits into the handling of historic cases.”
It gave the strong impression that the government was trying to downplay the local inquiries for political purposes. Trevor Philips, former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, put the charge against ministers forcefully, saying that they were reluctant to push ahead “because of the demographic of people involved… largely Pakistani Muslim background, and also in Labour-held seats and councils who would be offended by it”.
Aside from denying that they are being complacent, ministers have put forward a case that is rather bureaucratic, and comes late in the day, when the misunderstandings have (arguably) gained traction. They say they are awaiting a different inquiry, that being an audit by Louise Casey, the former victims’ commissioner. This is due next month and will “uncover the true scale of grooming gangs in the UK today, including looking at ethnicity”, according to the Home Office.
Once again, it’s not that clear. Some councils, such as Bradford, have rejected any further inquiries anyway. Keir Starmer, on the other hand, has opened up the possibility of funding for more than five local inquiries. But he and his colleagues say their emphasis is on implementing the recommendations made by previous inquiries – for example, creating a new criminal offence of obstructing an individual from making a report; making reporting of child abuse mandatory; and making “grooming” an aggravating factor in sentencing for rape.
We’ve had one lengthy one already – set up by Theresa May, and chaired by Alexis Jay – which reported in 2022. There have also been trials, along with various local investigations, such as in Derby, Rotherham and Telford, and considerable media interest (indeed, The Times broke the scandal in 2011).
The problem is that the Jay inquiry was national but very broad indeed, taking in so-called VIP abuse as well, while the local investigations have been piecemeal and lacked authority. Even if another five, or more, local inquiries took place, there would be areas left uncovered.
A more powerful argument is that the survivors and victims’ families want an investigation, and that they won’t feel that justice has fully been done and the truth made known unless an inquiry takes place that carries full judicial powers.
Grooming – and the sexual abuse of children in a broader sense – has never been confined to men of Pakistani heritage, but as a specific phenomenon, the gangs have aroused intense interest and debate. The topic is also being exploited, obviously, by racists and Islamophobes.
The clamour for a further national inquiry will not die down, and it feels inevitable that one will need to take place in order to restore some truth and perspective to the discussion. Meanwhile, in the local elections, the Conservatives and Reform are making the most of it.
Time to build a better future – Brick by Brick
The Independent is proud to be able to thank its generous readers and partner organisations for the completion of a new bespoke safe haven for women and their families fleeing domestic abuse.
Our Brick by Brick campaign, launched last September in partnership with the charity Refuge, asked for a £15 contribution per nominal brick for the buildings – and there was an immediate and enthusiastic response to the appeal. Construction of the first purpose-built house has now been completed, with a second to follow soon.
As soon as Refuge’s all-female team of decorators have finished up, the first residents will be welcomed into their secure and safe new home. Of necessity, the location of the properties remains confidential, which will lend additional comfort to those who have been subjected to horrific mental and physical torture.
In particular, Refuge, the Persimmon housebuilding company and its charitable trust have devoted enormous effort and care to the design of these new homes – with flexibility in the accommodation for children and appropriate security measures. Especially thoughtfully, pets are also allowed. These will be places of kindness as well as safety.
In the words of The Independent’s editor-in-chief, Geordie Greig: “This is a monumental achievement, and I’m immensely proud of the role our readers and supporters have played in building this house – Brick by Brick.”
Many politicians, royalty and celebrities have put their status to good use by lending their names to our Brick by Brick campaign, including The Queen, Sir Keir Starmer, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Joanna Lumley, Olivia Colman, Victoria Derbyshire, Andi Oliver, David Morrissey and Sir Patrick Stewart.
Despite the near ubiquity of domestic abuse, which takes many forms, it rarely dominates the news headlines – another reason why The Independent has backed this effort. It is so much more than an exercise in “raising awareness” – a phrase that is often used but rarely matches up to the challenge of the problem.
As so much domestic violence goes on behind closed doors, police and social services never get to hear of it – but the best estimates of the incidence of this type of violence and its effects are sobering.
Last month, it was revealed that between April 2023 and March 2024, 98 victims of domestic abuse took their own lives – on top of the 80 who were killed by a current or former partner, and the 39 killed by a family member. Coupled with the 354 suspected deaths by suicide following domestic abuse since 2020, that brings the total number of domestic abuse-related deaths this decade to 1,012, according to the government-funded Domestic Homicide Project. There will be many hundreds of thousands more similar cases that have gone unrecorded, if not millions.
One reason for these types of crimes – which are often described as an “epidemic”, and one with a long and often hidden history – is that it is just so difficult for women and children to get away from an abusive man quickly and safely. Without a refuge, they can become trapped in barbaric, controlling relationships.
Shelters such as those provided by Brick by Brick will go a long way to remedying that. From a safe home, damaged people can begin to repair themselves, and their lives. They can also more readily seek what help they can from the authorities, as well as legal advice that will secure them justice. Such things are also crucial in rebuilding lives.
More needs to be done, which is undoubtedly more difficult at a time when there is less money around. The social services departments of local authorities have suffered successive waves of austerity, as have police forces. Yet they are there to save lives and prevent injury, and there can be few better uses for taxpayers’ money. More purpose-built refuges would also be a fine investment, saving on temporary accommodation and trying to fix problems when it is far too late to stop the harm. The children, after all, carry the physical and mental scars for the rest of their lives.
In its election manifesto, the Labour Party tried to build on the pioneering work in this field done by generations of campaigners and some politicians who cared enough to make a difference, notably Theresa May, whose government passed laws on disclosure and “controlling coercive behaviour”.
Mercifully, even in these polarised times, this is not a partisan matter. Labour, in its turn, promised to “introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms so that victims can talk directly to a specialist, and ensure there is a legal advocate in every police force area to advise victims from the moment of report to trial”.
The party also promised to halve abuse against women and girls (much of it in the home) within a decade. Disconcertingly, the home secretary Yvette Cooper last November had to concede that she didn’t know how to measure “overall violence” against women and girls, nor “how you look at domestic abuse”. Of course, if any government sets a target (even one that may exceed its own lifespan), it needs to be able to quantify its success, but that should be no excuse for not getting on with the job and maintaining that momentum.
The creation of more safe refuges could be transformative in this effort, and it is something that should take its place in the ambitious housebuilding programme being overseen by the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner.
There are women at the top of government who understand the problem of domestic abuse, are committed to improving the situation of women and girls and have the power and responsibility to do something about it. They should build a better future, brick by brick.