Organisers of mass protests in the UK will be asked to take on new responsibilities for ensuring events do not descend into violence, as the government prepares to lower the threshold for banning marches after recommendations in a new report.
Lord Walney, a former Labour MP who spent three years compiling the document, called for increased spying powers to counter the threat posed by collaboration on political violence and disruption.
In response, the government said where there is deemed to be intimidating or abusive conduct it would lower the point at which it intervenes. This would ensure greater responsibility being placed on the organisers of protests to manage and limit the potential for demonstrations to descend into violence or disruption.
"By proposing a reclassification of threats and recommending enhanced intelligence and policing capabilities, it seeks to set out the tools necessary to identify, protect against and deter extreme activity that goes beyond legitimate protest," the report said.
The government and London’s Met Police have been at loggerheads over the pro-Palestinian marches, with ministers urging the force to ban them while senior officers have responded by saying that is not within their legal power. There have also been incidents at MPs' homes and local council meetings, as well as at universities, though the majority of arrests in the UK have come from among far-right extremists.
In his report Lord Walney, who worked as an adviser to former UK prime minister Gordon Brown, calls for a change in legislation to allow the police to ban marches if they believe it will result in arrests for “stirring up of hatred, causing harassment, alarm or distress, or support for terrorism”.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said the “government will look at the thresholds for imposing conditions on protests, and how such thresholds could be applied”.
“This includes amending the threshold to prevent protests from going ahead where there is the threat of intimidating or abusive conduct based on previous behaviour, or on account of cumulative serious disruption,” he said.
The report also contained recommendations that the organisers of regular mass demonstrations should be asked to contribute to policing costs, in the same way football clubs currently pay the costs of having officers at grounds for matches.
Mr Cleverly said because this was of “particular interest” he had been "persuaded to give this policy further consideration over the coming weeks”.
Also responding to the report, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said behaving in a threatening or intimidating manner is "not the British way".
"Extremism has no place in our society,” said Mr Sunak while on a trip to Austria, when asked about the report.
“Threatening or intimidating behaviour that disrupts the lives of ordinary hardworking people isn't acceptable. I want to make sure the police have our full backing and the powers they need to clamp down on it.”
"That is why we have given them those new powers, making sure that we can ban the use of face coverings, flares, pyrotechnics, climbing on war memorials."
He added: "Of course, we will study Lord Walney's recommendations in detail but I am very clear it is not the British way to behave in an intimidating or threatening manner and we will make sure the police have our full support and backing in clamping down on that type of behaviour."
It comes as Communities Secretary Michael Gove accused organisers of pro-Palestinian marches of not doing enough to stop some demonstrators spreading anti-Jewish messages in a speech condemning the rise in anti-Semitism in the UK.
The cabinet minister said while many protesters are "thoughtful, gentle, compassionate people", they also stand "side by side with those who are promoting hate".
He argued there is a "thread that connects extremist ideologies from Islamist to those on the far right and the hard left".
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
