King Charles to lead Remembrance Sunday service in London

The King is set to lead the nation in a two-minute silence to remember those who died in conflict.

Charles will take centre stage at the Cenotaph in London for the National Service of Remembrance on Sunday, where other members of the royal family and senior politicians will lay wreaths to honour the fallen.

Some 10,000 armed forces veterans will take part in the Royal British Legion’s march-past, and about 20 Second World War veterans will attend, 80 years on from the conflict’s end.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Remembrance Sunday will allow Britain to “pause as a nation to honour all those who have served our country”.

“We reflect on the extraordinary courage of our armed forces in the world wars and subsequent conflicts, whose service secured the freedoms we cherish today.

“Eighty years since the end of the Second World War, we remember a generation who stood against tyranny and shaped our future. Their legacy is peace and our duty is to protect it.

“Such sacrifice deserves more than silence, which is why this government remains committed to supporting veterans, their families and those who serve.

“Today, we remember, and we renew our promise to uphold the values they fought for.”

Among those set to march is 101-year-old Donald Poole, a Royal Army Ordnance Corps technician who handled defective explosives or enemy ammunition.

Originally from Bromley, Kent, he was serving in India in 1945 when Japan’s surrender was announced, sparking an impromptu celebration.

“It is a great honour to be able to pay tribute to the poor souls who have died in all conflicts and I know how lucky I am to still be here thanks to all those who have fought and served, past and present,” he said.

“I also want to pay tribute to the civilian services who suffered during the Second World War, particularly the fire service, who saved so many lives during the Blitz – many of whom lost their own.”

Sid Machin, another of the six 101-year-olds registered to march, is one of the last surviving “Chindit” soldiers from the Second World War’s Burma campaign.

As a young man of about 19, Mr Machin landed behind enemy lines in a glider at night in the jungle, as part of a special forces unit in Burma (now Myanmar), which wreaked havoc on Japanese supply lines and infrastructure.

Mr Machin, from Dorset, said: “I am proud to be marching at the Cenotaph today with the Chindit Society to mark the end of an emotional year remembering my own and my comrades service in the Far East.

“It was tough but we just had to get on with it and watch out for each other. I will be thinking of everyone I served with and especially those that didn’t make it home.”

Eileen Marshall, 98, is one of just three female Second World War veterans expected to march at the Cenotaph this year.

Ms Marshall, from Yorkshire, left home in 1944 aged 17 to join the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS).

After initial training, she was drafted to HMS Ganges, where her role involved looking after the officers’ quarters.

She said: “Serving in the WRNS was one of the happiest times of my life, but also one of the saddest, especially when sailors were lost at sea, including my cousin.

“On Remembrance Sunday, I will be marching with the HMS Ganges Association to honour all those who gave their lives, including my husband Ray, who served with the Highland Regiment and passed away in 1994. I will proudly wear his medals as I remember him and all the fallen.”

The two-minute silence begins at 11am on Sunday, with the march starting at 11.25am.

Thousands of people are expected to line Whitehall to pay tribute.

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said: “From the Cenotaph in London to memorials in towns and villages across the United Kingdom, and wherever our armed forces serve around the world, we pause to remember their courage, their sacrifice and their enduring legacy.

“We shall remember them.”

Philippa Rawlinson, director of remembrance at the Royal British Legion, said: “As we come together on Remembrance Sunday, we not only pay tribute to them but to all those who have bravely defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

“From risking their lives in warzones to spending time away from their families, and providing vital support during emergencies and humanitarian disasters, the dedication of our armed forces community is extraordinary.

“We encourage the nation to pause, reflect and remember their service and sacrifice.”

‘I am much happier here’: Ghislaine Maxwell letters show mindset in new Texas prison

Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell says she’s “much happier” at the Texas prison camp she was transferred to after meeting with Trump officials, she revealed to friends and family.

“I feel like I have dropped through Alice in Wonderland’s looking glass,” Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and associate, wrote in an email obtained by NBC News. “I am much much happier here and more importantly safe.”

She sent the emails shortly after she was transferred in August from a low-security federal prison in Florida to the minimum-security Bryan Federal Prison Camp. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in a sex-trafficking scheme with Epstein.

In some of the emails, Maxwell touted the prison camp’s cleanliness and orderliness.

“The institution is run in an orderly fashion which makes for a safer more comfortable environment for all people concerned, inmates and guards alike,” she wrote in one email.

“The kitchen looks clean too — no possums falling from the celling to fry unfortunately on ovens, and become mingled with the food being served,” she wrote in another, comparing it to her previous prison arrangement.

Maxwell also told loved ones that the food is improved at the prison camp compared to the Tallahassee prison.

“The food is legions better, the place is clean, the staff responsive and polite – I haven’t seen or heard the usual foul language or screaming accompanied by threats leveled at inmates by anyone. I have not seen a single fight, drug deal, passed out person or naked inmate running around or several of them congregating in a shower!” she wrote.

Maxwell even gave a shoutout to prison camp warden Tanisha Hall, whom she hailed as a “true professional.”

NBC News obtained the emails from the House Judiciary Committee after its top Democrat Jamie Raskin asked Hall in a letter last month about Maxwell’s “VIP treatment,” citing the Wall Street Journal’s report about the 63-year-old’s “unusually favorable treatment” that has sparked resentment from fellow inmates.

“Now, shocking new reports reveal that Ms. Maxwell is not only receiving VIP treatment at FPC Bryan—including private meetings with mysterious visitors, meal delivery to her dormitory, and other special perks—but that you and other prison officials have retaliated against inmates who dared to speak out about her fawning preferential treatment,” the Maryland Congressman wrote.

Maxwell was moved to the prison camp days after meeting with Justice Department officials for two days in July as part of the investigation into the so-called Epstein files. Former prison staffers said such a transfer was “unheard of” and others said it reeked of “special preference.”

“It’s not a very uncommon thing,” President Donald Trump told reporters at the time. He has not ruled out a pardon for the British socialite.

The prison camp is dubbed “club fed” for its relatively relaxed conditions that boasts dormitory-style cells, no barbed wire, and opportunities to take classes outside of work. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah are also housed there.

David Oscar Markus, a lawyer for Maxwell, told NBC News that “there’s nothing journalistic about publishing a prisoner’s private emails, including ones with her lawyers.”

“That’s tabloid behavior, not responsible reporting,” Markus told the outlet. “Anyone still interested in that kind of gossip reveals far more about themselves than about Ghislaine. It’s time to get over the fact that she is in a safer facility. We should want that for everyone.”

Her brother, Ian Maxwell, similarly expressed disapproval of republishing her emails, telling NBC News that the messages were “personal and private by their very nature.”

Maxwell is at the center of the controversy surrounding the Epstein Files, which have plagued the second Trump administration. The public and politicians on both sides of the aisle called for greater transparency around the records after the Justice Department released a memo in July stating that Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 and said no further investigation was warranted.

Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Trump in May that his name appeared in the documents, the Wall Street Journal reported. A mention in the files does not imply wrongdoing, and dozens of other high-profile names were also mentioned. The president has never been formally accused of wrongdoing in connection to Epstein.

In August, the DOJ released the transcripts and audio recordings from Maxwell’s two-day meeting with top Justice Department officials. In the wide-ranging interview, Maxwell said she “absolutely never” saw Trump behaving inappropriately with anyone in Epstein’s circle.

“I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects,” she told officials.

Maxwell also alluded to her experience at the Tallahassee prison when telling officials that she didn’t believe Epstein died by suicide.

“In prison, where I am, they will kill you or they will pay – somebody can pay a prisoner to kill you for $25 worth of commissary,” she said. “That’s about the going rate for a hit with a lock today.”

Davina McCall reveals breast cancer diagnosis after finding lump a few weeks ago

Davina McCall has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump a few weeks ago.

The TV presenter disclosed that she underwent surgery three weeks ago, as she announced the news in an emotional video posted to her Instagram account on Saturday morning.

She said she is sharing the news in the hope that it “might help someone” – and she urged others to “get checked”.

The 58-year-old described being “very angry” when she found out, but said she now feels in a “much more positive place” following the lumpectomy in October.

The diagnosis comes after she underwent surgery last year to remove a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, which was found after she was offered a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work.

The broadcaster said in her message on Saturday: “I just wanted to tell you that I have had breast cancer. I found a lump a few weeks ago, and it came and went, but then I was working on The Masked Singer and Lorraine, the TV show Lorraine Kelly, had put signs on the back of all the doors saying, ‘check your breasts’. And every time I went for a wee, I did that, and it was still there. And then one morning, I saw it in the mirror, and I thought, I’m going to get that looked at.

“So I had a biopsy. I found out it was indeed breast cancer, and I had it taken out in a lumpectomy nearly three weeks ago, and the margins, they take out a little bit extra, and they check the margins, and the margins are clear.

“It was very, very small, so I got it very, very early, which is incredibly lucky, but I am so relieved to have had it removed, and to know that it hasn’t spread.

“My lymph nodes were clear. I didn’t have any removed, and all I’m going to do now is have five days of radiotherapy in January as kind of an insurance policy, and then I am on my journey to try and stop it ever coming back.”

The former Big Brother presenter also thanked staff at the Royal Marsden hospital in London, along with her family and her “brilliant kids” – and she sent an “extra special thanks” to her partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas.

“It’s been a lot. I was very angry when I found out, but I let go of that, and I feel in a much more positive place now,” she said.

“I think my message is, get checked if you’re worried, check yourself regularly. If you are due a mammogram, then get it done. And I have dense breasts, and I had a mammogram in August, and I was postponing the ultrasound. I just couldn’t find time to do it. Don’t do that. Get the ultrasound, and thanks for watching. And I’m sending you all a massive hug.”

The post received thousands of comments from friends and fans alike, praising the presenter and sending well-wishes. Among those were broadcaster Amanda Holden, writer Elizabeth Day and All Saints singer Nicole Appleton.

Pushing Daisies actor Anna Friel said: “Oh … I am so sorry you are going through so much. You are shining and still smiling in the face of adversity. It’s a lesson to us all.” Meanwhile, comedian Dawn French called her a “phenomenal woman” and said: “Blimey Davina! What a warrior you are. Must’ve been stressful.”

According to the NHS, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in the UK. Although anyone can get it, those at higher risk include people over the age of 50 and those who have dense breast tissue or have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

Women are also more likely to get breast cancer if they have higher levels of the hormones oestrogen, progesterone or testosterone, which may occur if they started periods before they were 12, went through the menopause after turning 55, have not given birth, gave birth for the first time after 30, or did not breastfeed their children.

The NHS also said people may be at higher risk if they have used the contraceptive pill in the past 10 years or take hormone replacement therapy, although “these only slightly increase your risk and for many people the benefits of taking them outweigh the risks”.

McCall is known for hosting Big Brother between 2000 and 2010 during its Channel 4 run, and has long advocated on women’s health issues, including presenting documentaries on contraception and the menopause. She has also co-presented BBC Comic Relief and Sport Relief, Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer, The Million Pound Drop, Long Lost Family and dating programme My Mum, Your Dad.

England survive Fiji fright but improvements needed as All Blacks loom

It was scratchy, sloppy and scattergun at times but England roll into an encounter with New Zealand that will define their November with their winning run still intact. Steve Borthwick and his staff will not necessarily take great heart from an evening against Fiji where more went wrong than right but there can be no greater runway on which to build speed into a collision with the All Blacks than a smooth approach of nine consecutive victories.

Stunned by the Pacific Islanders on Fiji’s last trip to Twickenham, England avoided the ignominy of a repeat defeat that would have dispirited their autumn. A few of those exiting Allianz Stadium at the end many have still felt a degree of frustration, and perhaps familiarity, England’s bench again to the fore to put a hard-fought contest beyond doubt. Word, too, must be extended to Fiji, who have made such strides. If not yet consistently conquering the so-called Tier One nations then they are giving them more than just a fright on a regular basis – a kinder look from lady luck and this game might have turned out differently.

To call this revenge for the 2023 World cup warm-up defeat would suggest that England were cold and calculated in a way they were not, though their excellent depth again told as they finished with a flourish. Watching on with intrigue, perhaps, after their own narrow escape against Scotland at Murrayfield might have been the All Blacks as they prepare to come to Twickenham in a week’s time. While they will expect to face a different home team – one likely piloted by George Ford with Fin Smith struggling to get the attack humming – certainly a slightly disjointed, disrupted performance from England would have pleased them.

The construction of Borthwick’s midfield for New Zealand will be fascinating after a few too many cogs clunking; the pack, too, seemed to miss the quiet authority of Maro Itoje, who helped himself to the last of England’s six tries to again show how the bench has become this side’s trump card.

Indeed, Borthwick’s team had finished so strongly against Australia that it was little wonder they fired out of the blocks. Six minutes had not yet elapsed when Luke Cowan-Dickie converted from close-range following a sustained spell of phases to close an opening routine performed almost entirely in the Fijian 22.

It wasn’t long, though, before the Pacific Islanders, clad in electric blue, sparked into life. It is their ability in unstructured situations that has long made them a real threat but in recent years they have developed significantly with their set-piece and kicking games. That was on show in Tevita Ikanivere’s maul score, which came from a penalty drawn by a contestable kick.

Fly half Caleb Muntz had been outstanding in that Fiji win in 2023 before his World Cup dreams were dashed, cruelly, by injury on the eve of the tournament. Back patrolling the Twickenham turf, he soon picked up where he left out, arcing and orchestrating at the eye of a Fijian storm that blew England off course. A miss pass out to Selestino Ravutaumada gave the wing the limited space he needed to crack the hosts on the edge, and while scrum half Kuruvoli was clattered having chipped ahead, a supporting Muntz was on hand to collect the debris and finish.

A slightly coltish England team had begun eagerly, yet without the accuracy required. Powerful barges from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Chandler Cunningham-South got the crowd going but did not amount to much, the latter perhaps guilty of eschewing an overlap to go it alone from a promising position. Amidst English toil, Fiji scrambled, spoiled and snatched English ball superbly. Muntz, errant with the two conversions, soon added a penalty.

Little had gone wrong for Fiji in 36 minutes before an ugly incident in the type of aerial contest now so often crucial to these Tests. Ravutaumada had honest intentions as he went after a box kick, but was beneath and behind Feyi-Waboso as he leapt, sending the catcher spiralling to the floor with an uncomfortable thud. As the England wing spun, so did the half; after play resumed, Fin Smith’s crosskick to a wing left vacant by the sin-binned Ravutaumada was finished off by the man he had clattered moments before.

If Feyi-Waboso’s elasticity had been on display in how quickly he had leapt back into action, it perhaps also saved his opponent from seeing red. Still, though, it wasn’t quite clicking for England – Fraser Dingwall, their “glue guy”, had a few sticky moments, while the Smiths appeared to have a difference of opinion over their outfit’s musical direction.

Unsurprisingly, then, it took something improvised to get England playing in rhythm, as Ben Earl and Ollie Lawrence took advantage of a loose Fijian kick chase to make telling busts. Lawrence was hauled down a metre short, and stand-in captain Genge did the rest. Yet Fiji had an answer, again showing their lineout variety and venom as Ikanivere helped himself to a second after a neatly worked move at the front.

Only Muntz’s inaccuracy from the tee, with a third conversion missed, kept England ahead. To the bench Borthwick went, sending on five replacements clad in bright, white shirts together for a second week in succession. They delivered; Jamie George, one of the quintet gleaming under the lights, finished off a lineout drive.

Misfortune befell Fiji when they seemed to have hit back, Kuruvoli adjudged to have fumbled as he slid over, thus allowing England’s replacements to add some sheen. Henry Arundell celebrated his international return with a try crafted from pure pace, retrieving Marcus Smith’s hack ahead like a terrier after a tennis ball, and Itoje made the margin greater still. A fright, but a fright only – England’s power on.

William criticises businesses for failing in tackling climate change

Prince William has reportedly hit out at big businesses for “falling short” in attempts to tackle climate change.

The Prince of Wales expressed his deep frustration with the failures of large corporations to take environmental concerns seriously enough, accusing them of lacking “courage” in their climate policies.

He has spent the past week in Brazil for the Earthshot prize awards before the Cop30 climate conference, where he met with UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

“[William] believes that major companies are still not doing nearly enough,” a royal source told The Times. “He wants to see bold leadership in the private sector and, honestly, many businesses are still reluctant to get involved. Even when some are making genuine progress, they’re rarely talking about it.”

The source said the Prince of Wales had “raised his concern about the lack of meaningful support” from international corporations during a meeting with Sir Keir.

William has dedicated much of his energy to campaigning on climate issues, following in the footsteps of King Charles, who put climate front and centre of his personal agenda while he was a prince.

Despite noting some positives, including initiatives from companies such as Ikea and Uber, the source said the prince believes that “far too many others are still falling short and it’s time for more of them to step up to the plate”.

During a meeting with young activists in Rio, William said we need “a bit more courage in the system” and challenged the CEOs who are failing to take a lead in environmental policy.

He said: “Where are the CEOs taking the lead with this? There is a nervousness. We have to get the confidence, we have to get the passion. Without that, we’re all wobbling around a little bit.”

William has held climate talks with President Lula and UK energy secretary Ed Miliband. He hosted the Earthshot prize awards in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday before travelling to Belem, a city in the Amazon rainforest, for the Cop30 summit.

At the awards, a global environmental prize headed by William which is awarded to five winners for contributions towards environmentalism, he shared the stage with four Brazilian youngsters who made declarations for a world they wanted to see – from one where “we can all breathe clean air” to a future where “rivers run clear, and wildlife thrives”.

Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise, who described William as his “dear friend”, congratulated the winners and finalists, thanking them for “reminding us what’s possible when commitment meets purpose” in a video message.

Pop star Kylie Minogue was one of a host of stars alongside Canadian musician Shawn Mendes and Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil, who performed at the awards ceremony.

On Thursday, the prince gave a speech at the Cop30 UN Climate Change summit, where he told delegates: “Where Indigenous people and local communities have secured land rights, deforestation is lower, biodiversity is richer, and carbon is better stored.

“Let us build a future where Indigenous people and local communities are recognised as global climate leaders — where their rights are protected, their voices heard, and their knowledge respected as vital to the health of our planet.”

William afterwards met Indigenous peoples to hear about the role they play in protecting critical ecosystems.

Tenure Facility, an indigenous organisation which aims to help indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities secure ancestral land rights and protect critical natural ecosystems, was a finalist in the Earthshot awards.

What is tacit knowledge – could your work skills spark a new career?

Whether it’s solving a logistical problem, navigating a tricky client meeting or being able to design, craft or build, we all have certain skills that feel straightforward to us yet can seem out of reach to others. A big part of this is tacit knowledge, the personal ‘know-how’ that individuals possess, built up over time. In a work context, this tacit knowledge can open interesting doors to potential new career paths, in which this real-world experience can be shared with the next generation of workers.

Understanding the concept of tacit knowledge is perhaps easiest when compared to its counterpart: explicit knowledge. “Explicit knowledge is something you can fully articulate linguistically and can be understood without context while tacit knowledge is something that can’t be described in the same way and needs its context to be appreciated,” Dr Neil Gascoigne, Reader in Philosophy at Royal Holloway University of London and co-author of Tacit Knowledge, explains.

Gascoigne gives the example of the famous physics equation of E=mc^2. This formula is considered a piece of explicit knowledge, as words can be used to explain the idea. However, the average person wouldn’t know how to use this formula. This is where tacit knowledge comes in. You would need to have studied physics, put your knowledge into practice and learned first-hand how to use formulas effectively in order to make the most of the explicit knowledge given.

In the workplace, a company handbook might explicitly set out the business’ practice for a certain task. However, you would need some tacit knowledge gained through work experience or time in the company to complete this task most successfully and efficiently.

As tacit knowledge is harder to explain with words, it often has a mysterious quality to it. However, as Gascoigne points out, this is only to the untrained eye. “Tacit knowledge often seems obscure to people unless they possess similar skills themselves. Without them, it doesn’t become apparent what expertise is exactly on display,” he elaborates.

“For instance, say I am watching a Grand Slam tennis match. I know there’s an astonishing kind of athleticism, but if I don’t play tennis or am not a committed tennis fan, I might not be able to tell the difference between a really great shot and a more average shot,” Gascoigne says.

This same idea applies in the workplace. Tacit knowledge is gained through experience and consequently, while we all have tacit knowledge, the areas we have it in differ. What’s more, it can even seem quite mysterious to ourselves. When we have worked in a certain industry for a period of time, we aren’t always aware of the tacit knowledge we have gained. While explicit knowledge relates to aspects of our job that we might have had to sit down and learn, our tacit knowledge is obtained in a practical way over time, by doing tasks again and again and subtly learning and improving as we go along.

After a while, we know exactly how to tackle projects or solve problems, almost without thinking. For instance, in the construction industry, this tacit knowledge would help you judge site safety or develop practical skills like site excavation, land levelling or brick laying. If you work in social care, it is only with time and experience that you can pick up on subtle emotional cues or manage crisis situations effectively. While in engineering, years spent tackling complex technical issues allow you to troubleshoot effectively, and draw on a myriad of possible solutions from projects past.

Whatever sector you work in, the knowledge needed to succeed is always a mixture of explicit and tacit, and the latter – this know-how built from personal experience, intuition, and practice – is incredibly valuable when it comes to judging real-world situations, solving complex problems and having an edge over competitors.

And while by definition, not explicit, that doesn’t mean that tacit knowledge can’t be shared. Indeed with time, attention and training, you can drill down on years-honed skills and information, and share it with others through teaching.

In fact, it is at the core of sharing your craft – and that’s far more than a simple list of instructions. “To learn how to do something, you really need to follow the example of somebody who already knows how to do it,” says Gascoigne. “These people have learnt the rules, internalised them and use tacit knowledge to know when they apply and when they don’t.”

Tacit knowledge is particularly valuable when it comes to Further Education teaching (defined as any education for people aged 16 and over who aren’t studying for a degree). This is because the focus is on preparing students for employment, and teachers need to draw on tacit knowledge to share how things really work in their industry. This ensures that students complete their qualifications not only with theoretical competence but also practical and employable skills.

This is why this type of practical learning that further education teachers specialise in can be so valuable. Workshop-style teaching and skills-led mentoring allows for those with experience to share the vital tacit knowledge they have built up over time in real-world scenarios. Meanwhile, those learning from them can see these nuggets of knowledge in action and have a chance to put them in practice as they learn.

If you’re passionate about your industry and interested in sharing your own tacit knowledge,  becoming a Further Education teacher can be a really rewarding and valuable career move. Further Education covers a huge range of industry sectors including construction, law, engineering, digital, hospitality, tourism, beauty and more. This includes BTECs (Business and Technology Education Council qualifications), T Levels, NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) or City & Guilds Qualifications.

Teaching in a mixture of colleges (often General Further Education Colleges or Sixth Form Colleges) and Adult and Community Learning Centres as well as workplace and apprenticeship settings, Further Education teachers share their years of real world industry  skills with people of all ages and backgrounds from those straight out of school aged sixteen to those making career switches later in life.

You don’t always need an academic degree or prior teaching qualifications to start teaching in Further Education. You can undertake teacher training on the job, often funded by your employer, so you can start earning straight away. Furthermore, it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing option. Further Education offers flexible opportunities – so you could teach part time alongside your other commitments. This means you could have a best of both worlds set-up, where you are still working in your chosen industry and teaching alongside it at a time that suits your schedule.

Whether it’s shifting your career fully or adding teaching into the mix, becoming a Further Education teacher can be a life-changing decision. One that taps into your well of tacit knowledge and creates a sense of fulfillment from helping shape the next generation of workers in your field.

Why not consider sharing your tacit knowledge where it matters most – helping inspire the next generation of workers in the field you love? Visit Further Education to find out more

Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson dies aged 68

Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson has died aged 68 after a short battle with lung cancer.

The television presenter and motoring journalist died “peacefully surrounded by his family” on Saturday, his family confirmed in a statement.

“A true national treasure, Quentin brought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms,” the statement said.

Willson was one of the first hosts on the hit BBC motoring show, alongside Jeremy Clarkson, before he went on to front Fifth Gear.

The broadcaster created and presented Britain’s Worst Drivers and The Car’s The Star and went on to perform on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, where he continues to hold the lowest score in the show’s history.

He was also an avid “consumer champion”, advocating for a number of campaigns including helping to freeze fuel duty with his FairFuel campaign and recently worked “tirelessly” to make electric vehicles affordable through his FairCharge campaign.

The statement continued: “Long before it was fashionable, he championed the GM EV1 and the promise of electric cars, proving he was always ahead of the curve.

“Much-loved husband to Michaela, devoted father to Mercedes, Max and Mini, and cherished grandfather to Saskia, Xander & Roxana. Quentin will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him personally and professionally.

“The void he has left can never be filled. His knowledge was not just learned but lived; a library of experience now beyond our reach.”

The family asked for privacy and said funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

Health minister says BMA leaders ‘turning union into farce’

A minister has accused British Medical Association (BMA) leaders of being “determined to turn their organisation into a farce” after a motion was passed for GPs to refuse to comply with new online access requirements for surgeries.

While Stephen Kinnock claimed the government wants “to work constructively with the BMA”, he said the motion “will put patient safety at risk at a critical time ahead of winter.”

From October 1, GP surgeries in England have been required to keep their online consultation platform open for the duration of their working hours for non-urgent appointment requests, medication queries and admin requests.

But a motion was passed that demanded the requirements’ removal and insisted online consultations should be curtailed once safe working limits have been reached, during Friday’s England LMC (local medical committee) conference.

The motion condemned the changes as “a cynical political stunt that is unfunded, unsafe and knowingly undeliverable in the context of current workforce collapse”.

It also called on GPCE, the British Medical Association’s (BMA) GP committee for England, to “prepare options for action”, including not complying with the mandates, if the government refuses to revise them.

But hitting back at the union – which has had an increasingly fractious relationship with Labour in recent months – health minister Stephen Kinnock said: “The current leadership of the BMA, whether on the GP committee or resident doctors’ committee, seem determined to turn their organisation into a farce.

“We’ve always been clear that we want to work constructively with the BMA – but they stand resolutely in the way of changes vital for patient care, and for the progress their members want to see too.

“This latest escalation is founded on untruths and will put patient safety at risk at a critical time ahead of winter.”

Mr Kinnock added: “It’s ludicrous to say the government has betrayed general practice – we have placed GPs at the heart of our 10 year health plan, provided a funding boost of £1.1bn, recruited 2,500 more GPs and cut red tape – as well as launched a review into the distribution of GP funding.”

It comes amid a growing spat between Labour and the BMA as a result of an ongoing pay dispute, with the union claiming resident doctors’ wages are 20 per cent lower in real terms than in 2008 and many struggle to find jobs.

Wes Streeting, who offered resident doctors a fresh package of support last week, has refused to budge on headline pay, describing the BMA’s pay demands as “preposterous”.

The union rejected the offer saying it did not go far enough and the government needed to increase pay.

The recently passed motion said the mandates, which apply to the core hours of 8am to 6.30pm, “reduce care to box-ticking targets and put patients at risk”.

It insisted that practices must remain flexible in order to provide access that suits the needs of their patients.

The changes have led to people submitting requests about life-threatening conditions on non-urgent forms, family doctors said previously.

They told Pulse magazine that patients have reported difficulty breathing, rectal bleeding and severe vomiting on the forms, which are designed for non-emergencies.

Last week a poll of 431 GPs and practice managers by the same outlet found 67 per cent are concerned about patient safety since the mandates.

This comes after the BMA entered a dispute with the government over changes to online access.

The union argues that certain safeguards have not been put in place to support the change and no additional staff have been hired to manage the requests.

It claims this could risk patient safety as staff try to find the most urgent cases, with fears that reviewing online requests will take up too much time.

Meanwhile, the BMA council chairman said there is “a gulf” between clinicians and government.

Dr Tom Dolphin said in a statement: “As representatives for doctors across the UK, we care deeply about our patients – but doctors’ ability to provide the quality of care patients deserve relies on support from and collaboration with the government and NHS leaders.

“This collaboration must be built on trust and done through real, frank and direct engagement.

“What is clear, however, is that with four major groups of doctors in dispute with the government in England, there is a gulf between the experiences of the expert clinicians providing care day-in, day-out to patients in GP practices and hospitals across the country, and those making the decisions in Whitehall.”

He added: “Our GP committee repeatedly warned the Government that making promises to the public it could not keep about online access would push some practices to the brink, reduce available appointments and risk urgent queries being missed.

“Having been at the LMC conference of grassroots GPs on Friday, the frustration of my colleagues working at the coalface of general practice could not have been clearer.

“We want to work with the government to resolve all these disputes for the benefit of all.”