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News in Brief: 17/06/2014

POLITICS: Parliamentary standard commissioner Kathryn Hudson will probe Business Secretary Vince Cable over whether a poll undermining Nick Clegg’s Lib Dem leadership should have been declared as a gift, she announced yesterday.

Mr Cable’s close friend Lord Oakeshott commissioned research into the Liberal Democrats’ prospects in a series of key constituencies.

The findings — which suggested seats could be lost unless there was a change of leader — were then leaked in the wake of dire local and European election results last month.

 

FESTIVALS: Glastonbury organisers announced yesterday that £20,000 “super loos” will be brought in this year to spare festival-goers of the annual toilet horrors.

The dreaded portaloos will be replaced with almost 5,000 long-drop and composting toilets, which also take waste from showers and washing-up.

 

HILLSBOROUGH: The man in overall charge of stadium safety at the time of the Hillsborough disaster yesterday denied “pointing the finger” at others as he was questioned about the football disaster.

Graham Mackrell, who was the secretary of Sheffield Wednesday FC when 96 Liverpool fans were killed at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, told the inquest into the deaths that although he was ultimately responsible for spectator safety he relied on the advice of others.

 

TELEVISION: Communications watchdog Ofcom launched an investigation yesterday into whether the BBC breached broadcasting standards after a Conservative MP swore during a live TV show.

Former police minister Nick Herbert used the term “fuckwit” while appearing on BBC2’s Daily Politics programme.

He claimed he had used the word “disapprovingly” while quoting from a disparaging comment made by a fellow guest about Home Secretary Theresa May.

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