Baker Is Showing He's Not In Tory Pockets

Theresa May and Norman Baker were never going to get on.

There's a clash of both personality and politics, with a staunchly Conservative Home Secretary and a minister on the left of the Lib Dems.

The recent spat about drugs policy - with Mr Baker pushing for reform - gave a clear glimpse into the fractious relationship in the Home Office.

In his resignation letter, Mr Baker said it had been "particularly challenging" being the only Lib Dem in the department and he went even further when speaking to The Independent.

"There comes a point when you don't want to carry on walking through mud and you want to release yourself from that," he said.

Video: Baker Starts Mud-Slinging At May

"I just think it's a pity that Theresa May took the mindset that the Lib Dems had to be put up with, and we were almost a cuckoo in the nest rather than part of the Government."

Lib Dem sources have told me that Mr Baker simply wasn't enjoying his time at the Home Office and was becoming frustrated that he could not pursue the projects he was interested in.

He has been unhappy for a while, but Nick Clegg asked him to stay on until the controversial report into drug policy was published last week.

However, that may not be the full story.

With just six months to go until the next election, Lib Dem MPs will be watching their poll ratings with horror. With some surveys putting them behind the Green Party, some will be considering drastic action to try and cling on to their seats.

Video: 30 Oct: Baker Denies Row With May

Could shoring up support in his constituency be a key factor behind Norman Baker's resignation?

Probably. He has a majority of over 7,000 in Lewes, which is a healthy size but by no means unassailable.

Quitting his ministerial post gives him more time to concentrate on local issues and residents. It also allows him to neatly disassociate himself from the coalition - painting himself as independent, principled and not in the pockets of the Tories.

But Theresa May won't shed a tear over the Home Office split.

His depiction of her as a staunch Conservative running her department like a Tory fiefdom with no room for those pesky Lib Dems won't do her reputation any harm either.

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Lib Dem Minister Quits With Attack On May

Home Office minister Norman Baker has quit the Cabinet, launching an attack on his Conservative boss, Home Secretary Theresa May.

The Liberal Democrat crime prevention minister is stepping down after a year of internal battles within the Home Office with Mrs May.

Last week, he became embroiled in a fresh disagreement over drugs policy and accused the Tories of suppressing a report which backed his case for a review of the current law.

He told The Independent the experience of working at the department was like "walking through mud" as he found his plans thwarted by her and her advisers.

Mr Baker said: "They have looked upon it as a Conservative department in a Conservative government, whereas in my view it's a Coalition department in a Coalition government.

Mr Baker accused the Tories of suppressing a drugs report

"That mindset has framed things, which means I have had to work very much harder to get things done even where they are what the Home Secretary agrees with and where it has been helpful for the Government and the department.

"There comes a point when you don't want to carry on walking through mud and you want to release yourself from that."

Video: 30 Oct: Baker Denies Row With May

The Lib Dem MP also accused Mrs May of viewing her coalition colleagues as "a cuckoo in the nest rather than part of Government".

In his resignation letter to party leader Nick Clegg, he said: "I regret that in the Home Office, the goodwill to work collegiately to take forward rational evidence-based policy has been in somewhat short supply.

"I have concluded, therefore, that for the time being at least, my time is better spent out of ministerial office.

"You will of course continue to have my full support in the run-up to, and beyond, the next election which I anticipate is likely to produce another hung parliament."

In reply, Mr Clegg said: "Thank you for the brilliant job you have done as a minister over the past four and a half years, first at the Department of Transport and more recently at the Home Office.

"In both posts you have proved yourself as one of the most effective ministers in government: always determined to deliver a more liberal agenda for Britain."

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Virgin Galactic Descend System Deployed Early

An investigation into the fatal Virgin Galactic spaceship crash has found the function to help it descend was deployed early.

Christopher Hart, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the craft's fuel tanks and engine had been recovered intact - indicating there was no explosion.

Mr Hart said: "Normal launch procedures are that after the release, the ignition of the rocket, and acceleration, the feathering devices are not to be moved.

Pilot Michael Alsbury, 39, was killed in Friday's spacecraft crash

"The lock/unlock lever is not to be moved into the unlock position until the acceleration is up to Mach 1.4. Instead, as I indicated, that occurred at approximately Mach 1.0."

Camera footage from inside the vehicle showed the lock/unlock lever was moved by one of the pilots.

Video: NTSB News Conference

But Mr Hart stressed he was not saying this had been the cause of the disaster, and was simply providing a statement of fact.

Nearly all the important parts of the vessel had been recovered and had been taken to a hangar for examination.

He told reporters the fuel tanks and engine showed no signs of "burn through" or of being breached.

SpaceShipTwo exploded over California's Mojave Desert during its 35th test flight shortly after being released at high altitude from its mothership WhiteKnightTwo.

Pilot Michael Alsbury, 39, from Tehachapi, California, was killed in Friday's crash.

Video: Virgin Crash A 'Massive Setback'

Fellow pilot, Peter Siebold, 43, was badly injured after ejecting from the craft.

Virgin Galactic had been aiming to become the first commercial "spaceline", by beginning tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

The company has defended its record after concerns were raised about the safety of the project.

In a statement it said: "At Virgin Galactic, we are dedicated to opening the space frontier, while keeping safety as our 'North Star'.

"This has guided every decision we have made over the past decade, and any suggestion to the contrary is categorically untrue."

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1. Gallery: Virgin Galactic Crash Wreckage

   Investigators examine the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft which crashed in the Mojave Desert. They claim it could take a year to determine the cause of the accident

2. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team is expected to spend the next week at the crash site in California

3. The ship broke up in mid-air during a test flight on Friday. One of the pilots was killed and the other injured

4. The team has already completed its first full day of the investigation

5. Officials say they are expected to trawl through "extensive data" - which is why the full investigation could take about 12 months or so

7. The craft's debris was spread over an area measuring five miles from end to end

10. Police secured the crash site in the Mojave Desert amid fears that some of the debris could be explosive

12. The spacecraft was on its first test flight for nine months when it crashed near the town of Bakersfield

Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are among those who are said to have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for a minute-long suborbital flight on SpaceShipTwo, which could carry six passengers.

Sir Richard Branson said none of the 700 ticket holders had so far backed out.

The Virgin Group founder said one person had actually bought a ticket since the crash.

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Suitcase Murder: Briton Remanded In Custody

A British man charged with the murder of two women in Hong Kong has been remanded in custody.

Banker Rurik Jutting, 29, was arrested after the women's bodies were discovered at an apartment in Hong Kong's Wan Chai district.

During his appearance he wore black trousers and a black T-shirt. He was remanded in custody and will return to court on 10 November.

A policeman at the scene of the double murder in Hong Kong

Police placed him on a holding charge ahead of today's court appearance.

Officers arrived at the apartment early on Saturday after receiving a call from the suspect, who until recently worked for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Video: Victims' Friend Talks To Sky News

They discovered the body of a woman, aged between 25 and 30, lying naked in the living room with knife wounds to her neck and backside.

Police also found a small amount of cocaine in the flat.

Assistant Commander Wan Siu-hung told reporters: "We believe the death was caused by a sharp object which cut the throat of the deceased.

"This led to copious bleeding. When the police found her, she was lying in the living room. The room was messy."

Eight hours later, at about noon on Saturday, police widened the forensic examination of the apartment and made the second discovery.

The body of the second woman, named in a court document as Sumarti Ningsih, was found wrapped in a blanket inside a brown suitcase on a balcony at the apartment.

She too had wounds to the neck. Police say the victim died on 27 October.

Police sources have told local media they believe the women worked in the sex industry.

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1. Gallery: Suitcase Murder: Briton Appears In Hong Kong Court

   Rurik Jutting recently left his banking job. Pic: Facebook

2. Police have been searching the flat where the women's bodies were found

3. One of the bodies was found hiden in a suitcase on the balcony

4. Assistant Commander Wan Siu-hung said both victims had injuries to the neck

A police spokesman added: "From what we can see it was intentionally hidden because it was put in a travel suitcase."

Both of the women are believed to be from Indonesia. One has been named locally as 25-year-old Sumarti Ningsih.

Mr Jutting studied history and law at Cambridge University.

He had worked for Merrill Lynch from 2010 until only a couple of days ago, spending three years at their offices in London before moving to Hong Kong in July last year. Prior to that he worked at Barclays in London.

The neighbourhood of Wan Chai is effectively Hong Kong's red light district. A large number of women from southeast Asia spend time in the district's many bars and clubs.

A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed a British national had been arrested in Hong Kong, although did not specify the nature of the crime.

"We are in touch with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance," she said.

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Virgin Galactic Crash Probe Could Take A Year

Investigators examining the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft which crashed in the Mojave Desert say it could take a year to determine the cause of the accident.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials are expected to spend the next week at the crash site in California.

They will then carry out interviews and further evidence gathering before beginning an analysis of what caused Friday's crash, which killed one pilot and injured another.

NTSB acting chairman Christopher Hart says the probe may take a year

NTSB acting chairman Christopher Hart said the full investigation may take up to 12 months, adding that Virgin Galactic can continue to operate while the probe is under way.

"The on-scene part (of the investigation) I would estimate probably four to seven days, and then we go off-scene and continue the factual collection," he said.

Video: Virgin Crash A 'Massive Setback'

"The total time... will be probably about 12 months or so, but again, as I say, this does not stop the operator from operating."

Mr Hart said investigators will use evidence from several cameras located on the craft to determine why it broke apart over the desert.

"Because it was a test flight it was heavily documented in ways that we don't usually see with normal accidents," he said.

Sir Richard Branson has admitted the fatal Virgin Galactic crash is a "massive setback for commercial space travel", but says he hopes the programme will be back on track in six months.

The Virgin Group founder said: "It is a horrible day for Virgin Galactic, for commercial space travel - it's a massive setback.

Video: Space Ticket Holder Undeterred

"But we've got to pick ourselves up and see whether the problem is fixable, and hopefully move the programme forward.

"I'm hopeful we'll be able to overcome the problems."

Pilot Michael Alsbury, 39, was killed in the crash. Mr Alsbury, from Tehachapi, California, worked as a project engineer and test pilot.

The flight was his ninth onboard SpaceShipTwo.

His co-pilot, Peter Siebold, 43, was badly injured after parachuting to the ground.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

2. Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

3. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

4. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

5. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

Scaled Composites has confirmed that Mr Siebold has begun to communicate with his family at the Antelope Valley Hospital, where he is being treated.

The tragedy occurred after SpaceShipTwo fired up its rocket following a high-altitude drop from its WhiteKnightTwo mothership.

Mr Alsbury's death is the project's fourth fatality after three people were killed in a 2007 explosion while working for Scaled Composites, the company that teamed up with Virgin Galactic to build SpaceShipTwo.

Virgin Galactic had been aiming to become the first commercial "spaceline", by beginning tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

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Injured Virgin Pilot 'Alert' After Fatal Crash

The co-pilot who was injured in the Virgin Galactic rocket crash is "alert and talking" to relatives and doctors, his employer has said.

Peter Siebold, 43, was one of two pilots in command of SpaceShipTwo when in crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert on Friday.

He was badly injured after ejecting and parachuting to the ground when the craft suffered what Virgin Galactic called a "serious anomaly".

His employer Scaled Composites said Mr Siebold has begun to communicate with his family at the Antelope Valley Hospital, where he is being treated.

Pilot Michael Alsbury, 39, was killed in Friday's spacecraft crash

"He is alert and talking with his family and doctors," the company said in a statement.

"We remain focused on supporting the families of the two pilots and all of our employees, as well as the agencies investigating the accident.

Video: Branson Vows To Find Cause Of Crash

"We ask at this time that everyone please respect the privacy of the families."

The company also paid tribute to 39-year-old pilot Michael Alsbury, who was killed in the crash, describing him as a "respected and devoted colleague".

According to his biography on the company's website, Mr Alsbury, from Tehachapi, California, worked as a project engineer and test pilot.

The fatal flight was his ninth onboard SpaceShipTwo.

He served as co-pilot on the spacecraft's first rocket-powered test flight on April 29, 2013, and had logged more than 1,600 hours in Scaled Composites aircraft since joining the company 13 years ago.

Video: Virgin Crash A 'Massive Setback'

Mr Siebold has been identified as the director of flight operations at Scaled Composites. 

He is an aeronautical engineer, experimental test pilot, and flight test engineer with 17 years of flight experience.

He has spent 2,000 hours working in 35 different fixed wing aircraft and has been employed by the company since 1996.

Investigators say it may take up to 12 months to determine the cause of the accident.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the crash, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson said the accident is a "massive setback for commercial space travel".

Video: On The Ground At Virgin Crash Site

But he hopes the programme will be back on track within six months. He added that to "push on blindly" with the project without knowing the cause of the crash would be an "insult" to Mr Alsbury.

The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the cause of the accident.

Virgin Galactic had been aiming to become the first commercial "spaceline", by beginning tourist flights to the edge of space next year.

Customers will pay up to $250,000 (£156,000) for a short journey into zero gravity and a glimpse of the planet from the edge of space.

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Deadly Virgin Crash May Hit Space Tourism

The crash of a Virgin Galactic craft is going to make people think twice about going on tourist trips to the edge of space, a former astronaut has told Sky News.

Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for a minutes-long suborbital flight on SpaceShipTwo, which can carry six passengers.

During its 35th test flight, it exploded over California's Mojave Desert shortly after being released from its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo, which had taken it to an altitude of 50,000ft.

The death of a pilot marks a major blow for the project and its billionaire founder Sir Richard Branson, who immediately headed to the scene by plane.

Retired astronaut Jose Hernandez told Sky News: "It is a risky business and we need to make sure it's safe for humans to travel into space."

The planes. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

He said of the crash: "It's certainly going to make people think twice before getting onto a ship and trying a zero g flight into space.

"But I think this is natural progression of what happens when you're going from having zero experience to trying to send humans into space.

Video: One Dead In Virgin Galactic Crash

"It is a steep learning curve. Sometimes it is an expensive learning curve."

Another pilot was badly injured in what has been described as a "catastrophic failure".

The company said in a tweet that the craft had suffered a serious "anomaly", without going into details.

The plan was for SpaceShipTwo to fire its rocket engine and carry out a 30-second "burn" test.

It was the first flight testing its engine for nine months and experts were also assessing a new type of fuel mixture which is plastic-based rather than a rubber-based compound.

It was hoped the new formulation would boost the engine's performance.

During test flights, the craft had not yet reached the edge of outer space, about 62 miles above Earth.

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1. Gallery: Images Showing Wreckage Of SpaceshipTwo In The Mojave Desert

   SpaceShipTwo and its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo are pictured before the test flight. Pic: Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites/Jason DiVenere

2. Part of the wreckage from the Virgin Galactic SpaceshipTwo lies in California's Mojave Desert after it crashed

3. Photographer Ken Brown said the craft was released from the plane that carries it to high altitude, ignited its rocket motor and then exploded

4. Two pilots were on board. California authorities said one died and the other was badly hurt

5. A witness said the space tourism craft exploded during a test flight over the desert

6. The aim of such flights was to assess SpaceShipTwo in preparation for suborbital trips to the edge of space about 62 miles above the Earth

7. Hundreds of people have already reserved seats and paid a deposit on the $250,000 (£156,000) ticket price for the flights. Pic: Virgin Galactic

8. After several delays, Sir Richard Branson's company had hoped to start taking passengers to the edge of space in 2015

9. But space expert Marco Caceres said: "You are not going to see any commercial space tourism flight next year or probably several years after that."

But the company had said the first trip there could have taken place in the next few months, depending on how testing went.

The launch date of the project has been put back repeatedly from the original 2007 date, but Sir Richard claims he and his son will be on the inaugural flight by next spring.

He previously described the project as the "beginning of a whole new era of space travel" and even suggested his business could "start doing trips to Mars".

Space journalist Sarah Cruddas told Sky News that things had "been looking really good for Virgin Galactic".

She said there had been "problems" with the engine in the past.

SpaceShipTwo is the commercial version of SpaceShipOne, the first private spacecraft to reach the edge of space in 2004, and which is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

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