Thousands In 'Thumbs Up' Tribute To Stephen

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

Thousands of people have posted "thumbs up" photos on social media in memory of fundraiser Stephen Sutton.

Using #thumbsupforstephen, the idea was launched by hundreds who gathered at Lichfield Cathedral for his public farewell ceremony, the culmination of a two-day vigil attended by some 10,000 people.

Crowds of people give a thumbs up outside Lichfield Cathedral

It was followed by spontaneous applause for the teenager who lost his fight with cancer on May 14 and whose fundraising campaign has raised more than £4m.

The hashtag quickly caught on and Twitter said around 11,000 tweets had been sent accompanied by #thumbsupforstephen in an hour.

Among those in the crowd was comedian Jason Manford, who helped the teenager spread the message online.

Stephen's mother Jane and brother Chris prepare to release yellow balloons

He told Sky News: "For everybody that's been touched by Stephen I think, even in your darkest moments and the times when you think you can't go on, just remember some of the words Stephen said and hopefully that'll pick you up."

Shelley Checkley told Sky News that Stephen had once given an "inspiring and awesome" talk to her children.

She said: "It was amazing to know him and always see him smile, always be positive, never, never sad.

"I've known him give help to adults with cancer and made them feel more positive, he was an amazing person.

Sienna Riley's family posted a picture on Twitter. Pic: @sarahhancoxuk

"He's made me feel more determined that every day you do everything right and don't moan about things that are insignificant or petty and live every day to the full."

Among those posting photos online in tribute to Stephen was three-year-old Sienna Riley, who has battled cancer since she was 20 months old.

Her aunt Sarah Hancox, 31, said Sienna's family - who are raising money for her treatment - posted a snap because they had been inspired by what Stephen had done to raise money and awareness.

Comedian Jason Manford, who backed Stephen's campaign, gives a thumbs up

When he was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer, Stephen set about raising thousands of pounds for charity.

After Stephen posted a photograph online earlier this year, showing him giving the thumbs up while he was in hospital, the appeal went viral.

By the time he died the total raised for the Teenage Cancer Trust was well above £3m, and the figure has kept on rising.

Stephen's coffin left the cathedral accompanied by drummers from Pandemonium, who performed at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, to reflect his love of music.

He had said he wanted "fun" put into his funeral, and chose the colour yellow as his emblem to signify happiness and sunshine.

Stephen's mother Jane and brother Chris released yellow balloons in his memory and people left yellow bouquets outside the cathedral.

RNLI members from Gravesend, St Abbs, Poole and North Berwick. Pic: RNLI

Ben Wigley, a friend of Stephen's, told Sky News that musicians had made a record called Hope Ain't a Bad Thing to raise further money for charity.

He said Stephen had heard the song and "loved it".

He said: "He was a pleasure to be around, it was hard not to smile, he lifted the spirits of everyone.

"He wanted for the funeral as little black as possible, to celebrate his life not mourn his death."

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Retailers' Credit Union To Defy Payday Lenders

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Some of Britain's biggest high street names, including New Look and Next, are forming a credit union that will offer staff an alternative to the sky-high interest rates charged by payday lenders.

Sky News has learnt that RetailCure, which has also received backing from entrepreneurs such as Rymans owner Theo Paphitis, is drawing up plans to launch later this year.

The new venture has received start-up funding of £1m and will eventually be accessible to the 4.8 million people who work directly in retail or in related sectors of the economy, half of whom earn less than £8 an hour.

It will be chaired by John Lovering, a veteran retailer who has led buyouts of companies including Debenhams, Homebase and Somerfield.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: "The industry feels that we have to find a way of providing a source of cheap, reliable credit for our people.

"The three million in retail and the nearly five million in the wider industry do have a need for low-cost, value-for-money, short-term borrowing facilities, and that's what we as an industry are trying to provide."

Booker and Matalan have also agreed to support RetailCure, while John Lewis Partnership and Wm Morrison have been approached and are expected to provide financial assistance.

The launch of RetailCure comes amid a still-intense political debate about the business model employed by payday lenders, which charge interest rates that work out at more than 5,000% on an annual basis.

The high street chains' credit union will charge interest on a sliding scale from roughly 7% to nearly 28% depending upon the borrower's credit history.

Mr Lovering expects the average loan request to be lower than £5,000, and believes that RetailCure could ultimately become Britain's biggest credit union.

"We think we can build a loan-book of £50m and attract 50,000 members relatively quickly," he said.

Assuming it receives regulatory approval, savers who deposit funds with RetailCure will be protected by the same Government guarantee as that which covers high street banks.

Earlier this week, the Church of England unveiled a pilot scheme through which a new credit union network will be piloted in three of its dioceses.

That project is being led by Sir Hector Sants, the former boss of the City watchdog, which since April has had oversight of consumer credit providers such as payday lenders.

Last year, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Justin Welby, said he had told the then boss of Wonga that he wanted to "compete (the company) out of existence".

The remarks sparked acute embarrassment for the Archbishop, however, when it emerged that the Church of England's pension fund was among the investors in one of Wonga's financial backers.

In its annual report this week, the Church Commissioners said they had yet to dispose of the holding because doing so would crystallise a significant loss for its pension fund.

Some industry stakeholders were sceptical about the prospects for RetailCure.

Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Consumer Finance Association, which represents short-term lenders, said greater choice was welcome but warned that it faced significant uncertainties.

"What this body will have to do is make sure it complies with very stringent regulations that are applied to financial services.

"I would ask questions around what is going to be the collection policy, what happens if somebody leaves the retailers business still owing a debt, how are you going to collect that?"

RetailCure hopes to launch formally in November.

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Lord Rennard Is Told To 'Leave Public Life'

Pressure is piling on Nick Clegg to expel Lord Rennard from the Liberal Democrat party after he finally apologised to four women who accused him of sexual harassment.

The ex-chief executive of the party had previously refused to say sorry having maintained his innocence ever since allegations were made that he had behaved "inappropriately".

Now it has emerged he has issued an apology in a letter sent to Liberal Democrat HQ.

Bridget Harris, a former adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister, is one of the women who made the allegations.

She resigned from the Lib Dems over the party's failure to act.

She told Sky News: "If one errant Lib Dem peer has actually himself walked away from the House of Lords as a result of running a few opinion polls, I think that Chris Rennard should be expected to also leave the House of Lords - basically leave public life.

Bridget Harris (L) and Alison Smith

"I would like to know who does he speak for now in the House of Lords?

"Who does he speak for as a Lib Dem?"

His letter of apology said: "Lord Rennard wishes to achieve closure of the contentious issues that have been in the public domain for the last fourteen months by expressing his apologies to Susan Gaszczak, Alison Goldsworthy, Bridget Harris and Alison Smith.

"Lord Rennard personally accepts the full report of Alistair Webster QC as given to him on March 7th in its entirety.

"He would therefore like to apologise sincerely for any such intrusion and assure them that this would have been inadvertent.

"He hereby expresses his regret for any harm or embarrassment caused to them or anything which made them feel uncomfortable.

"Lord Rennard wishes to make it absolutely clear that it was never his intention to cause distress or concern to them by anything that he ever said or did."

Police investigated claims that Lord Rennard sexually harassed female party activists last year, but decided not to press charges.

But an internal inquiry carried out by Alistair Webster QC found there was broadly credible evidence of "behaviour which violated the personal space and autonomy of the complainants".

Lord Rennard was suspended from the party, but remains a Lord, as a result of the allegations against him.

He is now expected to make a bid to have the Lib Dem whip restored after complying with the recommendations of the inquiry.

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Thousands Pay Respect To Inspirational Stephen

By Rhiannon Mills, News Correspondent

Thousands of people have queued outside Lichfield Cathedral to pay their repects to cancer fundraiser Stephen Sutton ahead of his funeral.

A two day vigil began on Thursday and will continue until this afternoon with many more expected to sign the book of condolence.

His family will hold a private funeral later where they will say their final goodbyes, but at 11am his mother Jane has asked people to join in a "Thumbs Up For Stephen" event, and "do something to make others happy".

Millions of people across the world have been inspired by Stephen's courage facing terminal cancer.

A 'Thumbs Up For Stephen' event has been planned

And as his hearse arrived on Thursday evening, drawn by four white horses, there was spontaneous applause from the crowd. A bright yellow wreath bearing the icon of a smiley face lay beside the white coffin.

Leading the vigil the Dean of Lichfield, the Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, told the gathered mourners Stephen "in his all too brief life" had taught "how to make the unacceptable, beautiful".

"He chose to share his exuberance with us, not his pain. He was one of those very rare people who've helped us live our lives with generosity."

Julia Hayburn, assistant headteacher at Stephen's former school, Chase Terrace Technology College, said: "Words like awesome, awe-inspiring and inspirational became synonymous with Stephen.

"But they only touched the surface of what he has become on a national and international scale."

There was spontaneous applause as the hearse carrying Stephen arrived

The teenager, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, had originally launched his fundraising appeal hoping to raise £10,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, but just hours before the vigil began the total had reached more than £4 million.

He died on May 14 after succumbing to multiple tumours.

The Teenage Cancer Trust's chief executive Siobhan Dunn said earlier today Stephen's memory would "never be forgotten" because it would live on through the work of the charity.

She added: "I think it's really important there's a public celebration of Stephen's life and I think that's exactly what he would have wanted.

"He was looking for us to put the fun into his funeral so hopefully we're going to do that."

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Political Battle Over Who Can Make Scots Richer

The battle for Scotland moved to a scrap over who would put more money in the pockets of the Scottish people as conflicting economic visions were presented by each side.

Westminster claimed staying in the union would mean a £1,400 a year "UK dividend" for Scottish people, while the Scottish Government said splitting would give each person a £1,000 "bonus of independence".

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond both presented their financial cases to the people of Scotland at the same time in buildings on opposite sides of the road in Edinburgh.

Mr Salmond said his financial assessment found Scotland would be £5bn better off by 2029 if the country opted for independence in September's referendum.

He promised to put more money in the pockets of Scottish families without raising taxes from an "increase in productivity".

He said: "Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, more prosperous per head than the UK, France and Japan, but we need the powers of independence to ensure that that wealth properly benefits everyone in our society.

"That wealth means we will start life as an independent nation with strong finances and huge economic potential."

But Mr Alexander cautioned that Scotland would face higher interest payment on Government debt if it left the union and that start-up costs would be £1.5bn alone.

The Westminster and Holyrood governments are both trying to woo voters

Presenting his financial case, Mr Alexander said: "Today we have shown that, by staying together, Scotland's future will be safer, with stronger finances and a more progressive society.

"Because as a United Kingdom we can pool resources and share risks it means a UK dividend of £1,400 a year for every man, woman and child in Scotland.

"That dividend is our share of a more prosperous future. It is the money that will pay for better public services and a fairer society."

Mr Alexander's delivery was dealt a blow after the academic behind the research claimed the Treasury had "badly misrepresented" it.

Patrick Dunleavy, a professor of politics at the London School of Economics (LSE), says that when Treasury officials used his research to calculate the start-up costs of independence, they overstated the figure by 12 times.

Officials had previously briefed that, partly based on the research of Professor Dunleavy, they estimated the start-up costs for an independent Scottish Government at £2.7bn - although this was not the figure used by Mr Alexander in his speech.

Professor Dunleavy wrote on Twitter: "UK Treasury press release on Scotland costs of government badly misrepresents LSE research.

"Appears to take minimum Whitehall reorganisation cost of £15m and multiply by 180 agencies to get £2.7bn. Overstates maybe 12 times?"

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Scotland Debate Descends Into Statistical Farce

If ever you were after an example of everything that's wrong with political economics today, you need look no further than the debate over Scottish independence.

This is an issue of immense importance - one that will define these two countries for centuries. And yet it has descended into a statistical farce.

According to the "yes" camp, independent Scots would be £1,000 better off; Danny Alexander and the Treasury think they'll be £1,400 worse off.

The Treasury's £1,400-a-person figure represents the total difference between Scottish and rest-of-the-UK government deficits by 2035 (but expressed in terms of 2016/17 money).

This £1,400 is comprised of: extra borrowing costs an independent Scotland would face, the cost of long-term North Sea decline and the cost of an ageing population and higher public spending. All that set against the higher oil revenues an independent Scotland would enjoy.

Scotland's £1,000-a-head number is based on something else entirely: the extra tax revenue the country will derive from having higher employment and greater productivity growth - 2.5% as opposed to the 2.2% projected by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

All of that adds up to £5bn a year by 2029 which, according to Alex Salmond, works out as £1,000 a person.

Having established that these numbers aren't strictly comparable, we then find that the two sides' estimates of an independent Scotland's deficit in 2016/17, the year of possible independence, also disagree widely.

Both agree that the rest of the UK's deficit will, by then, be 2.4% of GDP. But they differ on what Scotland's will be.

Danny Alexander (L) and Alex Salmond

The SNP says 2.8% of GDP. The Treasury says between 5.2% and 5.5% of GDP, citing the Glasgow-based Centre for Public Policy for Regions and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

These numbers differ in large part because of their assessment of revenues from North Sea oil.

The OBR thinks these revenues are heading downwards, or at best plateauing. The SNP, using numbers from the industry group Oil and Gas UK, disagrees, and thinks they will increase.

HMT estimates the oil and gas tax take in 2016/17 will be £2.9bn, the SNP's comparable figure is £6.9bn.

It is not merely that these figures are different; they are, single-handedly, able to change the entire outlook for the country's finances.

So who should one believe? Or, to put it more appropriately, whose sums are the least egregious?

In the case of the Treasury, the supposed source for their initial estimate of how much it would cost to set up a Government north of the border, Patrick Dunleavy, described their figures as "bizarrely inaccurate".

The SNP's £1,000 a head dividend, meanwhile, is predicated on a best-case scenario rather than a cautious forecast for growth.

The Treasury's is based on independent numbers. I tend to prefer using independent forecasts, provided they're from reputable organisations, as these are.

But then this is the greyest of grey areas. It's a useful reminder of the fact that economics doesn't have answers to everything. Trying to pretend it only devalues your case - and your credibility.

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Harris 'Had Sexual Affair' With Complainant

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Entertainer Rolf Harris has admitted in court that he is a "touchy feely sort of person" but denied ever indecently assaulting women.

Harris, 84, was giving evidence at his trial where he is accused of targeting four victims including a friend of his daughter Bindi.

Dressed in a dark pin-striped suit and tie he was specifically asked about the allegation involving his daughter's friend during a family holiday in 1978.

Southwark Crown Court heard the woman was 13 when Harris allegedly assaulted her in a Hawaii hotel room after she took a shower, and on a beach.

She has told the court she was assaulted by Harris in Australia later on the same holiday, claiming he touched her as she lay in bed next to a sleeping Bindi.

Harris said: "I have no recollection of that," adding it "never happened".

The entertainer denies 12 counts of indecent assault

His defence barrister Sonia Woodley asked him if he had ever hugged the woman to which he replied: "Yes, I have hugged her. I'm a touchy feely sort of person. I normally hug anyone that I get on on with."

When asked by Ms Woodley if he had ever done it in a sexual way he replied: "No," before going on to deny assaulting the woman after she stepped out of the shower.

Harris said his relationship with the alleged victim "changed slowly" and "became physical" when she turned 18 years old.

Harris admitted he felt "highly embarrassed" by it as well as having a "guilty feeling".

He recalled going into the spare room of his house in Bray to take the alleged victim a cup of tea when she "kicked off the duvet to reveal her bare legs".

The court heard about his professional career and portrait of the Queen

He added: "She grabbed my elbow and seemed to indicate she wanted me to sit on the bed, which I did. It seemed to me she was being very flirtatious. 

"It was very flattering, this young lady showing an interest in me."

Harris, who was 53 at the time, said he "touched the outside of her leg" before leaving the room.

He added: "This is all highly embarrassing. I was a married man, she was much younger. I shouldn't have been doing it."

When asked by Ms Woodley if he thought the victim was a "willing participant" he replied "Yes."

He went on to say that a "sexual chemistry" developed between the pair.

Harris insisted she was "willing" and added: "It was illicit, I had a guilty feeling. I was a married man, it was...she was Bindi's friend."

Harris also said the couple had oral sex in a secluded wood near his home and again said the woman had "started it" adding "she instigated the whole thing". 

Harris denies 12 counts of assaulting four women aged between seven or eight and 19 years old between 1968 and 1986.

Earlier he told the court about his showbusiness and singing career, at one point briefly singing his hit song Jake The Peg.

There was laughter in court as he imitated the noise of his trademark "wobble board" and moved his arms to show the technique.

Ms Woodley told the jury Harris had two paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy and had painted a portrait of the Queen.

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Scotland World Cup Friendly Match-Fixing Probe

Officers are investigating match-fixing claims over tonight's World Cup friendly between Nigeria and Scotland, Sky sources say.

The game is due to be played at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground in London.

The National Crime Agency, which investigates serious and organised crime, is now probing what it thinks could be an attempt to fix the match.

Scotland v World Cup-bound Nigeria is part of a series of warm-up matches ahead of the tournament in Brazil next month.

There is no suggestion that the game at Craven Cottage will be scrapped.

Stephen Keshi, Nigeria's head coach, said his side were just focused on preparing for the World Cup.

The match is due to be played at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground

"We are not here for that - we are here to play and to, you know, see our team improve and get ready for the World Cup so I don't know, maybe some sort of joke is around the corner and it is not very pleasant, you know?"

The investigation was launched after the match was "red-flagged" over the weekend.

Sky's Scotland correspondent James Matthews said Nigeria is the 'home' side and selected the Fulham ground as the venue.

He said: "The National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating what it believes may be an attempt to fix the match.

"No Scotland players are involved or under any suspicion but the NCA has been liaising with the football authorities in Scotland and Nigeria."

Matthews added: "The Scottish Football Association has said it is liaising with the relevant authorities and is preparing for the game as normal.

"It is my understanding the gambling commission has also issued an alert - a warning - to bookmakers around the world to keep an eye on betting patterns ahead not only of the Nigeria/Scotland game but other friendlies on Wednesday evening."

A spokesman said the agency "will from time to time provide operational detail necessary for public reassurance purposes".

He added: "It does not routinely confirm or deny the existence of specific operations or provide ongoing commentary on operational activity."

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Taxman Investigations Rake In Record £24bn

A record £23.9bn has been collected through investigations by taxmen over the last year, official figures have revealed.

The total was an increase of £3.2bn on the previous 12-month period and £9bn on three years ago.

HM Revenue and Customs said it was nearly £1 billion above the target set by Chancellor George Osborne in his 2013 autumn statement.

More than £8bn has been raked in from large business, £1bn from criminals and £2.7bn through tackling avoidance schemes in the courts.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke said: "The Government supports the hard-working, honest majority of taxpayers that play by the rules, and is determined to tackle the minority that seek to avoid paying the taxes they owe.

"We set HMRC ambitious targets to increase its yield and the figures published today demonstrate that HMRC is successfully meeting these challenges.

"It also sends a clear signal - HMRC will pursue those seeking to avoid their responsibilities and will collect the taxes that are due."

HMRC investigated the tax affairs of 237,215 people in 2012/13, compared with around 119,000 in 2011/12.

In 2013, 690 tax fraudsters and benefit cheats were convicted following probes by HMRC officials.

The number was an increase on the 477 convictions in the previous 12 months - and led to sentences totalling 355 years in prison.

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Warning Over Growing Numbers Of Blind Children

By Becky Johnson, Sky Correspondent

The number of blind or partially sighted children has increased due to a rise in survival rates of severely premature babies.

According to the charity Blind Children UK, the earlier a child is born the greater the risk of vision impairment. One in 20 children born severely premature is likely to be blind.

There has been a 9% rise in the number of children registered blind or partially sighted since 2006. Among under-fives the number has gone up by 12%.

The charity says despite increasing numbers of children being affected, a quarter of parents said they had to wait longer than a year for their child to be diagnosed.

Sally Freeman from Blind Children UK said: "The child won't know they have a visual impairment and if it's the first time for the parents, then they won't know there's a visual impairment involved.

"So the child could have a visual impairment for a while before they are diagnosed."

Fadzie Karima has no sight in her right eye and tunnel vision in her left eye.

The 13-year-old told Sky News: "I usually bump into stuff if I'm not being careful and it takes more concentration to do things like writing or using a computer."

She was diagnosed with juvenile glaucoma two years ago. Her mother, Ericah, wishes she had noticed sooner that her daughter was having difficulties.

"Had we gone for regular eye tests it would have been picked up a lot earlier but I didn't see the need for it," she said.

She is backing a campaign to urge other parents to get their children's eyesight checked.

The campaign also has the backing of Lord Holmes, the blind Paralympic swimmer.

He said: "Every day four children in the UK are registered blind or partially sighted.

"Sight loss can leave children feeling isolated and afraid - I know this from personal experience.

"Blind Children UK helps gives children the skills, confidence and support to enable them to enjoy their childhood and reach their potential as adults."

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