Ex Labour MP reveals he suffered major stroke

Former Labour MP Jon Ashworth has revealed he suffered a major stroke at the start of the year.

The former Labour frontbencher, who is urging people to attend health checks which can uncover underlaying medical conditions, told The Independent that he is now “on the mend” after a blood clot triggered the stroke.

Mr Ashworth said: “It was such a lightning bolt out of blue but I’m on mend thankfully.”

The 47-year-old explained how his stroke was “totally unexpected”, adding that despite having “never smoked and run lots”, he was unaware he had “such high blood pressure”.

He also suggested that the “high pressure” environment of Westminster may have played a part in his sudden stroke.

Mr Ashworth, who lost his Leicester South seat to a Gaza independent candidate in 2024 just as Labour regained power after 14 years, had the stroke on New Year’s Day leaving him with stiffness in his left arm and a loss of sight in his left eye.

In an interview with The Mirror he said that he had always been too busy to go to free GP health checks and now is urging others to accept the invitations.

He said: “I had a blood clot that was restricting blood and oxygen getting to my brain. What caused my stroke was really high blood pressure.

“When I got the message from the local GP saying you need to come in for your health check, I was like ‘I’m too busy’ and kept putting it off. My message to your readers is to make sure you are keeping your blood pressure under control.”

The charity the Stroke Association has warned that by 2035, someone in the UK will have a stroke every three and a half minutes .Currently it is on average every five minutes.

The charity is calling for urgent action to tackle the health time bomb caused by a number of factors including diet, stress and other lifestyle issues.

Mr Ashworth said: “We need to really expand access to blood pressure support so that people can get their checks and that people can take their blood pressure seriously.

“In the NHS itself, we need 24/7 access across all stroke sites for a procedure called thrombectomy [which removes blood clots from blocked arteries and veins]. We need to see the investment in stroke services helping people get their blood pressure checked and making sure that the rehab needed is properly supported as well.”

When he had his stroke Mr Ashworth had been planning to run a double marathon for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics.

He is now hoping to run a half marathon for them in autumn for the charity as he continues his recovery.

He said: “They must have thought I was eccentric in the hospital because I was practising Shakespearean monologues because I wanted to reassure myself that I could still speak and memorise things.

“I’m doing a lot of physical rehab, I’ve been trying to get my arm moving and stacking two pence pieces. My two girls, they’re into Wicked, so I’ve been doing Wicked-themed Lego to help my arm.”

Ministers consider social media curfew to keep children safe online

Ministers are considering introducing overnight curfews on children’s use of social media as part of new measures to keep young people safe online.

The government will also look at restricting children’s access to AI chatbots and whether there should be a minimum age for social media.

The ideas are part of a consultation with parents, guardians and young people across the UK, which opens on Monday. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is inviting views on whether there should be an Australia-style on children from using social media, and at what age this could begin.

Technology secretary Liz Kendall said: “The path to a good life is a great childhood, one full of love, learning and play. That applies just as much to the online world as it does to the real one.

“We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.

“This is why we’re asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.

“Together, we will create a digital world that gives young people the childhood they deserve and prepares them for the future.”

The consultation is also expected to ask whether social media platforms should be made to switch off addictive features which can lead their children to stay up late at night.

These include infinite scrolling, and autoplay features on video content.

Separate versions of the survey will be launched tailored towards adults, and for children and young people.

Ministers plan to close the consultation on May 26, and will then aim to respond in the summer.

The technology secretary and prime minister have already vowed to change the law swiftly based on the answers they gather.

Last month, Sir Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on illegal content created by AI and said that makers of AI chatbots that put children at risk will face massive fines or even have their services blocked in the UK.

As more children turn to chatbots for support and advice, the government said it would “move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law”.

Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, said the prime minister was “right that the status quo is not working – not for children or for their parents who are desperate to keep them safe”.

The consultation comes after Mumsnet launched a campaign to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s likening the health impact to cigarettes in provocative advertising.

The ads, which will be put on billboards and social media, claim that “three hours or more social media a day makes teens more likely to self-harm”. They also point to anxiety and risk of eating disorders as harms resulting from social media use.

Starmer accused of ‘crimes against humanity’ in Chagos legal challenge

Keir Starmer will be accused of committing “a crime against humanity” in a legal challenge against his controversial deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The UK prime minister, who made a career out of being a human rights lawyer, is set to have the tables turned on him in court by indigenous Chagossians in an increasingly fraught legal and diplomatic nightmare over his plan to hand over the sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands.

The court action, set to be heard this month, claims that forcing the Chagossian people to leave their indigenous homeland is a “crime against humanity” based on international case law.

It comes as the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has also said he intends to legally challenge the treaty dispute over the Mauritius claim to be the real owners of the islands, which are home to the UK-US crucial Diego Garcia airbase.

Previously, Sir Keir had insisted that he had “no choice” but to hand over the islands to Mauritius because of an International Court of Justice ruling, but critics have noted that the UK has an opt-out on International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings regarding the Commonwealth and its territories.

The opt-out also applies to other aspects of international law, including the International Law of the Sea, which the government is relying on to justify the Mauritius deal.

And with Donald Trump in effect vetoing the treaty Sir Keir signed with Mauritius, the plan to hand over the islands, along with £35bn of British taxpayer money to lease the airbase back, has been put on hold.

The US president is believed to be concerned about the security of the airbase, with intelligence in the US and UK that Mauritius is negotiating with China to allow it to have a presence on the islands, rendering Diego Garcia useless.

But in the meantime, Sir Keir’s government is facing a day in court on 13 March over its attempts to evict four Chagossians – led by the first minister of the government in exile, Misley Mandarin – who returned to the island in February, including one who was born there.

Currently, an injunction is in place preventing the removal of the four, who arrived with former MP Adam Holloway, who is also an ex-army officer.

However, the judge will also hear the case for a legal challenge to the Chagos deal with Mauritius, based on the rights of the Chagossians to resettle there instead and run the islands as a British protectorate.

James Tumbridge, the lawyer acting on behalf of the four Chagossians, has argued in papers submitted to the judge that removing the islanders for what amounts to a second time from their indigenous home is “a crime against humanity”.

In the submission, he has referred to a communication submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor setting out the background and submitting that the “crime against humanity of deportation” was being committed by the continued exclusion of the Chagossian people from their homeland.

Swiss-based lawyer Elodie Tranchez submitted the claim to the ICC and the UN Committee for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, noting: “It is an offence against the law of England and Wales for a person to commit genocide, a crime against humanity or a war crime.”

Mr Tumbridge noted: “The Chagos Islanders have been in exile since being forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands by the British authorities from the mid-1960s until 1973. That unlawful act (and crime against humanity) was committed after the islands had been severed from the administrative Colony of Mauritius before Mauritius was granted independence in March 1968.”

He will argue that the UK’s claim that the islanders could not return because of security reasons ended last year when they made the deal with Mauritius.

The submission states: “In the past that forced removal has been sought to be justified and maintained, on the grounds of national security. This is important to recognise because there has been a fundamental shift to acceptance that settlement of the outer islands is not incompatible with the military base on Diego Garcia (and indeed it has, rightly, not been relied upon in these proceedings as a reason for the decisions taken).”

It notes that the “policy change [comes about] should the islands be ceded to Mauritius, re-settlement [of the islands] is provided for in that arrangement”.

He will also point out that previous objections the UK government has raised regarding cost of resettlement no longer apply because of the £35bn offered to Mauritius as part of the transfer of sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the Maldives is set to issue its own legal challenge and is assessing “all lawful avenues available” to halt the transfer.

A spokesperson for the Maldives foreign ministry told The Telegraph: “The Government of the Republic of Maldives remains committed to protecting and advancing the sovereign rights and maritime interests of the Maldivians in accordance with international law.

“At present, the Maldives has not formally instituted proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against any state concerning sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. We are exploring our options now. We are doing a comprehensive legal review and consultations with international legal experts and relevant domestic authorities are ongoing.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We do not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

“As we have stated previously, there is no right for anyone, regardless of their citizenship or heritage, to enter the islands without a valid permit or exemption. That is why the vessel has been asked to remove all those unlawfully on the territory.

“The UK government recognises the importance of the islands to Chagossians, and we have made clear our regret for the manner in which they were removed from the islands in the past. However, this stunt puts lives at risk and does not help anyone.”

They will argue that the outer islands are currently not safe for habitation, and that the UK/Mauritius agreement, which protects the base on Diego Garcia, is the only viable and safe route to resettlement for Chagossians.

Prince William ‘wanted Andrew removed from succession line last year’

Prince William wanted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be axed from the line of royal succession in the autumn, alongside the stripping of his other titles, it has been reported.

The Prince of Wales is said to be frustrated that the process of his uncle’s removal from the line to the British throne, which the government is now weighing up, was not resolved at the time.

However, King Charles was reportedly reluctant to back the move until shortly before Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest last month, when he had come around on the issue, royal sources told The Sunday Times.

The government is considering introducing legislation that would see Andrew removed from his current position as eighth in line to the throne, a move which the government said could take “years”, and would not begin until after the investigation into the former prince has concluded.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office after being accused of sharing sensitive information with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while he was a trade envoy. He has not been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.

Following his arrest, Darren Jones, Sir Keir’s chief secretary, told lawmakers: “The government is clear that we are not ruling out action in respect of the line of succession at this stage, and we will consider whether any further steps are required in due course.”

The revelations about the Prince of Wales follow claims made last month that William had demanded Mr Mountbatten-Windsor be forced out of the royal family “before the rot set in”.

William is said to have urged Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II to take action following the then-prince’s disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019.

The King stripped Mr Mountbatten-Windsor of all titles, including the Duke of York, in October, following further revelations about his relationship with Epstein.

He was reportedly reluctant to endorse his removal from the line of succession, but now “wouldn’t argue” if the government was to act, sources told The Sunday Times.

Prince William is said to be fearful that his uncle’s ongoing scandal will threaten the reputation and survival of the royal family.

A recent poll revealed that 82 per cent of Britons think that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor should be removed from the line of succession.

The calls for Andrew’s removal from the royal line of succession have also been backed by the leaders of Australia and New Zealand, who said they would support the UK government’s decision.

In a letter to the British prime minister, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese said: “In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.”

The move to remove the former prince would require the support of the 14 other Commonwealth nations where King Charles is the head of state.

The royal family has not publicly commented on the latest calls for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s axing.

Following Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, William was asked at the Baftas whether he had seen the recently-released film Hamnet, to which he replied: “I need to be in quite a calm state, and I’m not at the moment.”

Police give update as Ian Huntley seriously ill after prison attack

Soham killer Ian Huntley remains seriously ill, three days after he was attacked by an inmate with a metal bar in a maximum security jail’s workshop.

Durham Constabulary stated on Sunday afternoon that his hospital condition had not changed overnight.

A spokesperson said: “The 52-year-old man remains in hospital in a serious condition, there have been no changes overnight.”

According to reports, triple killer Anthony Russell allegedly shouted “I’ve done it, I’ve done it” after Huntley, 52, was repeatedly smashed over the head at HMP Frankland in Durham, last Thursday morning.

The force declined to identify the suspect but said on the day of the alleged attack that a man in his mid-40s had been detained in the prison but not yet arrested.

Former caretaker Huntley killed 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4 2002. He dumped their bodies in a ditch.

Russell was sentenced to a whole-life tariff in 2021 for the murders of Julie Williams, 58, and her son David Williams, 32, at separate flats in Coventry, and pregnant 31-year-old Nicole McGregor, who was found in woodland near Leamington Spa three days later.

Russell also raped Ms McGregor.

Thursday’s assault was the latest attempt on Huntley’s life and he was thought to have been kept under close observation to prevent such attacks.

In 2010, robber Damien Fowkes slashed him with a home-made weapon, causing a “severe, gaping cut to the left side of his neck” with a 7in (18cm) wound which required 21 stitches.

Fowkes asked a prison officer: “Is he dead? I hope so.”

He described Huntley as a “notorious child killer, both inside prison and in society in general”.

Huntley’s life sentence recommended he serve at least 40 years for the Soham murders.

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Woman killed after car fleeing police drove on wrong side of road

A woman has died in a crash after a car fleeing the police drove on the wrong side of a dual carriageway, authorities said.

The fatal collision took place in Sunderland at around 3 a.m. Sunday and involved a grey Volkswagen Sharan and a white BMW, according to Northumbria Police.

The driver of the BMW, a 24-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remains in police custody, the force added.

Officers on duty had spotted the white BMW at around 2.55 a.m. as it travelled on the A184 in the Felling area of Gateshead.

A pursuit began after the vehicle failed to stop when instructed by police.

The same vehicle was sighted travelling south on the northbound carriageway of the A19 in Sunderland minutes before the crash, police said.

“Emergency services attended where sadly a female passenger from the BMW was confirmed deceased at the scene,” a spokesperson for Northumbria Police said.

“The family of the woman, aged in her 20s, have been informed and are being offered support by specially trained officers.”

A male passenger, also in his 20s, sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where he remains in a life-threatening condition, the force said.

The male driver of the Sharan was also taken to hospital for treatment, but his injuries are not deemed to be serious.

The A19 was closed in both directions between the junctions of the A1231 at Hylton Grange and the A184 Testos roundabout for several hours after the crash.

It has since re-opened to traffic, Northumbria Police said.

The force also said it has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation.

“Firstly, our thoughts go out to the woman’s loved ones as they process this tragic news, and also to the families of those injured,” Sergeant Greg Huntley, of Northumbria Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said.

“A section of the A19 was closed as our officers and the IOPC carried out enquiries at the scene, but the road has since been re-opened to traffic.

“We’d like to thank the public for their patience today while this was ongoing and would ask people to please refrain from any speculation online and in the community in the meantime.”

An IOPC spokesperson said: “Our investigation will look at police actions prior to the fatal collision.

“After being notified by the force, we sent investigators to attend the scene and the police post incident procedures to begin gathering evidence and declared an independent investigation earlier today.

“We will be contacting the woman’s family to offer our condolences and explain our role.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.”

Anyone with information or footage which could help the investigation has been asked to get in touch with Northumbria Police via direct message on social media, or by using the live chat and report forms on the force’s website.

Doctors urge NHS app users to make sure they switch on alert feature

NHS leaders are urging the public to activate alerts on the official NHS app, following a poll revealing that one in four individuals have missed a health appointment.

The new initiative encourages users to enable ‘push notifications’ to receive timely reminders or facilitate rescheduling, a move anticipated to free up millions of crucial appointments for other patients.

A recent survey of 2,000 patients across England highlighted the scale of the issue, with 12 per cent admitting to having forgotten an appointment, and a further 11 per cent arriving too late.

The problem extends significantly, as NHS England reported 16 million GP appointments went unattended in 2025. This equates to a staggering 4.3 per cent of all appointments – or one in every 23 – effectively representing an entire day’s worth of missed consultations at every GP practice nationwide each month.

Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: “People will often have genuine reasons for not being able to make an appointment or arriving too late, but it’s really important that they let us know if possible so we can offer the appointment to someone else.

“One of the easiest ways you can reduce the risk of missing an appointment is by tapping the NHS app to turn on notifications to get reminders, so you can cancel or rearrange them if they need to.

“It’s fantastic to see that GPs provided more than eight million extra appointments for their patients in 2025, and I hope this new campaign will help increase that number even more in 2026.

“I’d encourage all NHS app users to make the most of what the app has to offer so they never forget an appointment.”

The NHS app has more than 40 million registered users. It also enables people to order repeat prescriptions, and read notes and documents on their health.

The new campaign is called Tap the NHS App.