Commissioner

John Edwards resigned in June after independent investigation following claims of sexual harassment and bullyingThe UK information commissioner who resigned over sexual harassment and bullying claims is understood to be taking legal action against a woman who flagged his conduct.The science and technology secretary, Liz Kendall, said she was “appalled” by the fact that John Edwards was preparing to serve legal papers on one of the “incredibly brave” women at the ICO who raised concerns about his behaviour. Edwards resigned from his post as the UK’s data regulator in June after an independent investigation. Continue reading...

• On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. Slaughter that the President can terminate Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioners without cause. • The decision invalidates existing statutory "for-cause" removal protections that previously limited the executive branch's ability to fire agency heads. • This ruling significantly shifts the balance of power by increasing presidential control over independent regulatory agencies and reducing their autonomy.

• EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin has criticized a group of "frugal" member states for proposing significant spending cuts to the upcoming long-term budget. • The dispute centers on the financial framework for the 2028-2034 period, with these nations pushing for a substantial reduction in overall expenditures. • This tension highlights a recurring ideological divide within the European Union between nations advocating for fiscal restraint and those prioritizing strategic investment.

Founder of Maternity Safety Alliance says recommendation in Amos report will not solve wider cultural problemsThe appointment of a national maternity commissioner would be “fundamentally dangerous”, a bereaved mother who founded a maternity safety campaign group has warned.Emily Barley, whose daughter Beatrice died because of failings at Barnsley hospital in 2022, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the recommendation for a maternity commissioner in England in the Amos review was “not going to do what we need to move maternity safety forwards”.Maternity triage services – the childbirth equivalent of A&E – need an urgent overhaul, including more staff on duty, so that women’s concerns are acted on more quickly.Families should get the right to seek a fresh, independent investigation when things go wrong if they are not happy with the hospital’s own inquiry.The NHS’s “brutal” and “cruel” system of agreeing compensation with harmed and bereaved families should be replaced by a new process in which hospitals admit errors immediately.The NHS must root out racism and discrimination that is “embedded throughout the maternity and neonatal system”. Continue reading...

Amos review sets out recommendations for government, but falls short on systemic racism and traumatic birthsEngland to get powerful maternity commissioner after ‘shocking’ failingsThe findings of Lady Amos’ review into maternity and neonatal services across England, which state the system is ultimately no longer fit for purpose, are unsurprising. The systemic failures and inadequacies of these services have been uncovered in several reports already, including Donna Ockenden’s review of the “toxic” Nottingham NHS trust published last week.But what this report does offer are a set of recommendations for the government to implement. Amos states that if they were to be delivered in full then “the overall safety and quality of maternity and neonatal care in England will be materially and sustainably improved”. But how far do these recommendations go, and what will it take for them to be implemented? Continue reading...

Health secretary announces move after Amos review finds childbirth and neonatal care in need of ‘urgent reform’Analysis: Transparency, standards and a new commissioner – but does maternity review go far enough?A powerful maternity commissioner will be appointed to push through an urgent transformation of childbirth care in England after a major review concluded that it had multiple failings.Ministers have bowed to growing pressure by agreeing to recruit the UK’s first commissioner for maternity and neonatal care. Whoever takes on the role will pursue hospitals over persistent failures in care, ensure wide-ranging improvements are made and try to restore the faith of families in a maternity system in England that has been rocked by a series of scandals.Maternity triage services – the childbirth equivalent of A&E – need an urgent overhaul, including more staff on duty, so that women’s concerns are acted on more quickly.Families should get the right to seek a fresh, independent investigation when things go wrong if they are not happy with the hospital’s own inquiry.The NHS’s “brutal” and “cruel” system of agreeing compensation with harmed and bereaved families should be replaced by a new process in which hospitals admit errors immediately.The NHS must root out racism and discrimination that is “embedded throughout the maternity and neonatal system”. Continue reading...

• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk announced that investigators will probe potential breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law by all parties involved in the Lebanon conflict. • The escalation, featuring Hezbollah attacks and an extensive Israeli air and ground campaign, has resulted in over 3,660 deaths and the displacement of more than one million people. • This conflict opens a new front in the Middle East, intensifying fears of a wider regional war and creating a severe humanitarian crisis.