Tags: U bomb me, I bomb U

1501 points, 78 comments.

Shabana Mahmood has threatened to block Eritrean visas in a row over the east African country's migrant return rate.

The Home Secretary has said she would bring in restrictions on Asmara unless it takes back its criminals and illegal migrants, most of whom arrive on small boats.

Eritrean VIPs and diplomats have already been stripped of their fast-track visa access to the UK after the Eritrean government reneged on an agreement to take back migrants refused asylum or convicted of crimes in the UK.

Now, Ms Mahmood has gone one step further, saying she would block visas for all Eritreans if the country refused to accept the return of its nationals with no right to be in the UK.

The Home Secretary told The Telegraph: "Eritrea has had every chance to accept the return of criminals and those with no right to be in the UK. Unlike other countries, it has refused.

"My message to the Eritrean government is simple: take back your nationals or face a complete ban on your citizens entering the UK.

"I will not hesitate to impose further measures on other countries refusing to cooperate."

Sources within the Home Office said diplomats from Asmara had refused to engage constructively with Whitehall in private talks about the returns agreement.

According to official figures, just 106 failed asylum seekers from Eritrea have been deported out of 2,626 whose claims were rejected in the past four years, equivalent to fewer than four per cent.

In the year ending June 2026, 6,952 Eritrean asylum seekers arrived in the UK, the second-highest number of any nationality.

This included 5,875 by small boats, the largest of any nationality grouping.

Eritreans have an asylum approval rate of just over 83 per cent.

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Back in February, the DRC, Namibia, and Angola agreed to return their citizens after the Home Secretary threatened to ban visas for the countries’ ministers, diplomats, and tourists.

It meant up to 4,000 convicted criminals, including murderers, rapists and illegal migrants, from the three African countries could be deported to the states.

After the success of the sanction threats, Ms Mahmood warned other countries that they faced similar visa restrictions if they continued to refuse to take back their criminals, illegal migrants and rejected asylum seekers.

Other countries that have been highlighted as being resistant to taking back illegal migrants include India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia, Egypt and Gabon.

It follows Reform UK's earlier plans to impose “visa freezes” on those wanting to visit the UK legally from countries including Eritrea if they do not accept deportees.

These would halt any new visas for Eritrean nationals, as well as Sudan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia, which the party would target because they have issued significant numbers of visas to the UK.

For other countries that would not be greatly affected by such a measure but trade with the UK, the party is now saying it would go further with sanctions such as tariffs and airline bans to apply more pressure.

Labour called the plans "a clear sign of desperation and weakness", accusing the party of copying Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain.

Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said: "Nigel Farage is casting around for more and more extreme policies as he tries to deal with scandals, police investigations and a growing challenge from Restore, this is a carbon copy of their policy.

"Running away from basic decency by entirely abandoning those escaping war and persecution might look to Reform like a way of winning a bidding war with other parties on the right, but the vast majority of British people will reject it as an assault on our common values."

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the proposals “largely copy” the Conservatives.

He said: "Banning asylum claims by illegal immigrants, abolishing the immigration tribunal and ending Labour’s resettlement routes are all existing Conservative policy.

"Our detailed BORDERS plan also sees us coming out of the ECHR and ensures all illegal immigrants are removed within a week of arrival and closes the modern slavery claim and judicial review loopholes, both of which Reform seems to have missed."

Sadiq Khan and a US technology firm have agreed to drop legal proceedings over a £50million Metropolitan Police deal.

Palantir, a Florida-based software company, brought a claim against the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) after it blocked a contract for the US firm to provide artificial intelligence and data analysis services to the London police force.

The Mayor of London's office argued in May the deal was a "clear and serious breach" of procurement rules.

But the CEO of Palantir UK, Louis Mosley, accused Lord Khan of leaving the force "fighting criminals with their hands tied behind their back" in an interview with GB News.

He also said, at the time, that Lord Khan had blocked the deal because Palantir's "values" did not align with London's.

A full trial was expected in January.

But on Wednesday, both sides agreed to "settle their differences" and drop allegations without admitting liability.

In an agreed statement, both sides said Mopac's decision to block the contract was "not based on Palantir's values or ethics or any wider reporting about the company".

Mopac, however, said it "recognises Palantir’s concerns that media reporting of a statement from the Mayor's spokesperson before the decision was taken could have incorrectly created the impression that an assessment of the company’s values had been a factor in that decision".

Both sides have agreed to pay their own legal fees.

Lord Khan also released a statement as the case was dropped.

He said: "London is the technology capital of Europe, and I am proud that leading software firms choose the city as their home."

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The London Mayor continued: "Palantir makes a significant contribution to jobs and investment in the capital, employing a large number of Londoners whose services have been procured legally by organisations across the UK and beyond."

The settlement followed Palantir's hiring of former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson in a lobbying role.

Mopac said in its statement that its decision to block the Peter Thiel and Alex Karp-founded firm was based upon its "statutory role of examining spend proposals against the appropriate legal tests and the relevant guidance on procurement, governance, affordability and ensuring value for money for Londoners".

The mayor's office added it had focused on "available information at the time" and was "happy to correct any contrary impression".

The agreed statement said it would work with the Met and re-run a competitive procurement process for the unified operational analytics (UOA) solution, which Palantir is "free and welcome" to participate in.

The procurement process will now be run with "all due expediency", it added.

"The Mayor remains clear that London’s public services must be able to use modern technology to keep Londoners safe and improve outcomes, while ensuring all procurements are lawful, fair, transparent and deliver value for money," the statement concluded.

Mr Watson said: "This case sought an answer to a simple question: Are the rules that protect taxpayers in public procurement still applied fairly to everyone?

"The mayor and his team have recognised their actions could have created the impression that the decision to block the UOA contract was based on Palantir's values.

"I'm very pleased that they have today corrected any such impression, and that even in the face of extreme provocation from highly organised pressure groups, decisions about deploying technology can still be made on their merits and in the public interest."

428 points, 94 comments.

Britain’s approach to China has been “beset by incoherence" and lacks expertise because of budget cuts, according to a damning new report.

Whitehall departments pursue "mutually contradictory approaches" to Beijing with a "naivety" about what it wants from the UK, the report by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) said.

Britain should create a unit modelled on the US State Department’s China House to join up action across Government, the report recommends.

In a 53-page document, Ipac said that increasingly polarised politics in the UK and the rise of “populist parties that have yet to define their positioning” on Beijing present “an opportunity for further Chinese influence”.

The report says "Substantial evidence" also points to Britain becoming a destination for excess Chinese industrial output, known as "dumping" – and a “backdoor” into the European market in sectors such as steel, batteries and EVs

This could hinder any green technology trade deal with the US and risks deepening reliance on Chinese battery technology, creating "vulnerabilities in future transport infrastructure", the audit warns.

Software flaws in Chinese-supplied renewables, such as solar inverters, pose a risk to UK energy security and may "undermine" Labour's net zero goals, it says.

The report recommends Labour adopt policies that "de-risk" by diversifying supply chains, strengthening alliances and investing in homegrown alternatives in key sectors.

Backed by MPs including Shadow Foreign Secretary and former security minister Tom Tugendhat and Treasury Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier, the report followed after ministers refused to publish the findings of their own audit of relations with China.

In an underlined passage, the Ipac paper says: "Successful UK engagement with China must always be framed by an understanding that the PRC is an inherently hostile authoritarian state that does not share our values."

In a foreword to the report, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy said: “Whatever our political differences, we should recognise that the opportunities and risks presented by China demand a united and considered national response.

“For many years, UK China policy has been beset by incoherence, with different departments pursuing mutually contradictory approaches."

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The forward continued: "The UK’s long-term interests have been routinely subordinated to short-term wins, or obscured by naivety about what China under Xi Jinping wants from the UK."

A Government spokesman said: “Working with China presents opportunities supporting UK and global interests, such as boosting trade, protecting our climate and securing international stability.

“But we are also clear-eyed about the threats China poses, and national security is the first duty of government.

"We will cooperate with China where we can while meeting any challenges head on.”

A Chinese embassy spokesman said: "The so-called ‘Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China’ has consistently sought to sensationalise China-related issues and spread disinformation about China.

"It is a downright anti-China organisation. Its sole agenda is to manufacture falsehoods, mislead the public, and undermine China’s relations with other countries.

"The so-called ‘audit’ issued by this organisation distorts the facts and plays to the gallery.

"It is not even worth refuting."

Tags: Latest News, 9gag news

51 points, 78 comments.

The family of a man who was mauled to death by a tiger in Yorkshire have criticised "deeply offensive media content" after Donald Trump shared an AI video of himself with a tiger online.

William Chapman, 23, was killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday after entering the animal's enclosure.

As tributes poured in for Mr Chapman, the US President shared an AI generated video on his Truth Social platform, appearing to show him tackle and hug the same tiger from the attack.

The bizarre clip featured the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens playing in the background.

The AI video followed a previous post from the US President, in which he shared the actual footage of Mr Chapman being attacked by Altai, the 440lb Siberian tiger.

Captioning the post, Mr Trump said: "Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT."

In a statement from the 23-year-old's family, they said the sharing of of "deeply offensive content" online had caused them "severe distress" as a result.

Paying tribute to Mr Chapman, the statement began: "William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved - and William loved them back.

"Sadly, William suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication.

"It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process."

The statement then stressed: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

"The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this.

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"The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.

"In the meantime, please do not approach the family, their addresses, or scrape any further social media from William’s or his family’s accounts.”

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has remained closed for a fifth day following the attack on Saturday.

Emergency services were contacted shortly after 1.30pm on October 10 when Mr Chapman, who police said was visiting the park alone, entered the enclosure. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

City of Doncaster Council, which is responsible for licensing the park, confirmed it had opened a health and safety investigation on Monday.

Dan Swaine, executive director of place at City of Doncaster Council, said: "As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation.

"We are also working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in response to the incident.

"At this time, we won’t be commenting further on the individual or the investigation and we ask that the privacy of those involved is respected at this difficult time."

A decision on the controversial North Sea gas field Jackdaw is "imminent,” the energy secretary has revealed.

Miatta Fahnbulleh said that her department had been through all of the necessary documentation, adding: "so there is a decision, and that will be imminent".

But she told the Energy UK conference in central London that a decision on Rosebank, Britain’s largest untapped oil field, will take longer.

Work at both fields has been in limbo after legal challenges were made on climate grounds.

Decisions on the future of both rest with Ms Fahnbulleh.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged a "pragmatic" approach.

Industry leaders have said that Jackdaw could be supplying British homes with gas this winter.

Approving both fields, they say, would benefit the economy, the climate and the UK’s energy security.

But climate campaigners are fiercely opposed to the projects.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband once referred to Rosebank as "climate vandalism".

It had been widely predicted that an announcement would be made last month, leading to claims that it had been delayed until after the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, in which Green Party leader Zack Polanski stood unsuccessfully.

Labour denied this, claiming that there was simply a huge amount of documentation to deal with.

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However, the Government had previously refused to be drawn on when a decision would be announced.

Ms Fahnbulleh, a keynote speaker for the conference, held by the trade body for the energy sector, was asked if decisions had been made on either field.

She replied: "As you will understand, we are in a quasi-judicial process, and I won't get into the specifics. What I will say is we have got all the information on Jackdaw, and the department has gone through that and so there is a decision that will be imminent.

"Rosebank will take a little bit longer. But because my first two months of the job have been completely dominated and inundated with this question, when I have got a 100,000 things in my in-tray, I have an incentive to make sure that we come to decisions as quickly as we can."

Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie spoke earlier at the same event and questioned why no decisions had been made on the North Sea projects.

He pointed out that the Government had just given the green light to a huge oil field off the Falkland Islands.

Mr Bowie said there was a "supreme irony" in the fact Mr Miliband was the one to sign off the Falkland field when, as energy secretary, he had not approved Rosebank or Jackdaw.

He went on: "It really does beg your question - why is it okay to drill for oil and gas in the South Atlantic, but not in the North Sea? Why is it okay for the Government to sign off on jobs being created in oil gas in Port Stanley, but not in Aberdeen?

"You can’t claim that the government's policies on the North Sea are about successful climate leadership, yet our own overseas territories aren't following them."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Tags: 3 days, would be, too long

4210 points, 435 comments.

Nigel Farage has told Andy Burnham to declare a "national security emergency" amid a surge in small boat crossings.

During Prime Minister's Questions, the Reform UK leader warned "young, identified males" from Iran were making the perilous journey to France.

He cautioned they may "pose a genuine security threat to our nation", echoing the same concerns he had raised back in April this year.

At the time, Mr Farage said he had received intelligence from an inside source that Iranian "operatives" had been making the crossing into Britain.

"To put that in simple terms, we are importing terrorists into our country from across the English Channel," he warned.

And, now, speaking in the Commons, Mr Farage said: "The Head of MI5, Ken McCallum, yesterday revealed that there have been 50 arrests in the last year linked to Iran.

"And I have to say, this Government deserves praise. He deserves praise for prescribing the IRGC, a very, very important move.

"But every single week there are young, unidentified males from Iran coming into this country, some of whom pose a genuine security threat to our nation.

"Is it not time the Government recognised that what is going on in the English Channel is a national security emergency?"

In response, the Prime Minister acknowledge it had been a "hard time" for Mr Farage and his family after it was revealed his home was targeted in a firebomb attack in April 2025.

Joshua Kerry, who is also charged with the murder of former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe in July, has been charged with preparing a terror act against Mr Farage.

Across the despatch box, Mr Burnham said: "There was a lot we disagree on, but I defend his right to say it and I will work hard to secure his safety.

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"And every member of this House. And we will involve all sides in the Lovegrove review that the Home Secretary has established on the issues related to Iran.

"Obviously, we've seen the issues at RAF Fairford recently, and they have been dealt with in the right way with the utmost seriousness by the police and security services."

He further clarified there was "much more to be done" regarding crossings - but said there was "clearly progress in the right direction".

"And the key point is, of course, we do need to get boat crossings down. I hope he would recognise that they are coming down. Removals are up," he said.

Since Mr Burnham entered No10, small boat crossings have surged as thousands take advantage of the last of the milder weather conditions in the Channel.

And, just last week it was revealed a staggering 1,739 people made the 21-mile journey to reach British borders between October 1 to October 7.

The shocking rate meant that 10 small boat migrants crossed the English Channel every hour throughout the week.

Within his first two weeks of scaling the steps to No10, some 2,000 migrants crossed the English Channel back in July.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

A suspected Islamic State (Isis) member who allegedly fought for the terror group in Iraq has been living in taxpayer-funded asylum accommodation while claiming asylum in the UK.

Layth Ibrahim Mohammed, 39, is accused of having links to the jihadist group during the 2010s, including allegedly making booby-trapped bombs and teaching children of Isis fighters at a school run by the organisation.

The Iraqi national is said to have arrived in Britain by small boat from France in August 2025, allegedly providing officials with a false name.

He was then accommodated in a hotel funded by the Home Office in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

National Crime Agency (NCA) officers arrested Mohammed at the hotel in October 2025, almost two months after his arrival.

It came as German authorities reportedly alerted British officials to his alleged Isis background.

The case is believed to be the first known instance of a suspected Isis terrorist entering Britain and living in the country undetected, although this has not been independently established.

The circumstances surrounding Mohammed’s arrival and accommodation are likely to raise questions about the checks carried out on asylum seekers, and how authorities assess potential national security risks.

Mohammed is now fighting extradition to Germany, where he is wanted to face terrorism-related charges and an allegation that he raped a German woman.

The allegations have not been established in court.

During a hearing in Westminster, his lawyer, Joanna Curtis, argued that extraditing her client would be inhumane, citing his mental health problems and other reported health complaints.

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"He has significant mental health issues, including severe anxiety, as well as depression", Ms Curtis told the hearing, adding that his trauma stemmed from a bomb attack in Iraq that killed his son.

Strangely, she also cited his reported symptoms of "pins and needles" as part of the arguments against extradition.

A decision on whether Mohammed should be extradited to Germany is expected on November 3, when judges are next due to consider the case.

Yesterday, Sir Ken McCallum, Director General of MI5, highlighted the security concerns of Islamist terrorism to Britain during a conference speech.

He described Iran as a major security threat, with Iran-linked having led to more than fifty arrests in the UK over the last 12 months.

Sir Ken highlighted the threats to UK military sites from the Iranian regime and its military arm, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, citing the direct threat to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, from where US bombers have carried out raids against Iran.

But Sir Ken issued a clear warning to would-be plotters and attackers, saying, "Those who seek to cause mayhem on British streets – whether hired thugs here or their paymasters overseas – will meet an unflinching response."

Britain's staggering benefits bill for foreign households could fund pensions for close to one million Britons, according to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures.

Households containing at least one foreign national received £11.92billion in Universal Credit payments during 2025, equivalent to funding the full new State Pension for almost 950,000 people for a year.

The data, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Centre for Migration Control, shows that payments to these households accounted for 15.6 per cent of total Universal Credit expenditure.

Most shockingly, the £11.92billion total represents a whopping 25 per cent increase on the £9.5billion paid in 2024, with more foreign national families claiming year on year.

Spending had stood at £7.5billion in 2023, further marking a substantial rise over a two-year period.

Of the 2025 expenditure, some £7.7billion went to households where at least one foreign national was out of work, around 65 per cent of the total.

The DWP figures divide the spending into £6.613billion for households containing European Economic Area (EEA) nationals, and £6.069billion for those containing non-EEA nationals.

The EEA comprises the 27 European Union member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The categories overlap, as some households include nationals from both groups. After deducting £762million in double-counted payments, the combined expenditure comes to £11.92billion.

British and Irish nationals are excluded from the DWP's foreign-national classification.

The figures can be compared with the current full new State Pension of £241.30 per week, or £12,547.60 annually.

On that basis, £11.92billion would cover a year's pension payments for approximately 949,982 pensioners.

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However, the figures relate to entire households containing at least one foreign national, rather than benefits paid exclusively to individual foreign nationals.

They also include mixed households containing British citizens, meaning the pension comparison illustrates the scale of expenditure, rather than identifying money that could automatically be redirected.

The figures come as Reform UK earlier proposed significant changes to welfare eligibility under its policy document, Making Welfare Work, which was published over the summer.

Reform treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick and Deputy Leader Richard Tice outlined plans to restrict benefits to British citizens, with limited exceptions including Armed Forces service and contributory State Pensions for people who have paid into the system.

“Only British citizens will be entitled to benefits,” Mr Jenrick said at the time of the announcement, arguing that the welfare system should prioritise British taxpayers and people in need.

He claimed one in six Universal Credit claimants was neither a British nor an Irish citizen, and said £55billion had gone to foreign nationals over four years.

Reform UK estimates its proposed restrictions could save taxpayers £21billion annually by 2029, equivalent to around £700 per household.

Mr Tice said the proposals were intended to protect support for British people, including pensioners, and safeguard the State Pension triple lock.

The future of the triple lock, which increases the State Pension annually according to a formula involving earnings growth, inflation and a minimum rise of 2.5 per cent, faces renewed scrutiny over its long-term affordability.

At the Labour Party Conference last month, Prime Minister Andy Burnham promised to bring changes to the triple lock from April 2030 onward, seeing a rise each year by whichever is higher - inflation or 2.5 per cent

The automatic annual link to average earnings growth would be reworked, with the changes projected to save roughly £15 billion a year by 2040.

The government plans to use the savings to fund a new phased, free-at-the-point-of-need National Care Service in England.

A Government spokesman said: "Under this Government, net migration is down by 82 per cent from its 2023 peak. Only people who are in the UK legally can claim taxpayer-funded benefits, of which around half are in work.

"Last November, we set out proposals to reform settlement which will double the standard qualifying period to 10 years for most migrants, with shorter routes for those who contribute most to the UK."

Under existing rules, foreign nationals may access Universal Credit, provided their immigration status grants them recourse to public funds.

These rules apply to refugees, individuals with EU settled status, and those who have obtained indefinite leave to remain.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Tags: january 6th, Paid

35 points, 61 comments.

A group of Piddington women fighting against plans to house migrants in an old RAF base have descended on Westminster ahead of Parliament's debate.

Residents in the sleepy Oxfordshire village held a symbolic referendum last month to leave the UK in protest at a Home Office plan to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at the nearby former MoD Bicester.

The women of the village, which has a female population around 133, raised concerns over the undocumented male migrants being allowed to come and go as they please - just next door to their homes.

Now, speaking to GB News, Joy Morrissey, the Shadow Equalities Minister, said: "It's not just for the women of Piddington.

"It's for women all across the UK who have raised their concerns about these migrant camps that are coming in right in their villages.

"It's ruining their way of life. These are men who are undocumented, who are waiting for their asylum claim, and there's nowhere for them to go.

"They're going to be wandering these villages. It's not safe for women and girls. We're forcing a vote so that Labour and the Lib Dems have to make a firm choice on this."

Their plight is set to be debated in the House of Commons tomorrow.

The debate will force ministers to address the fears of local villagers who are deeply concerned about the camp where migrants, many of whom will have discarded identity documents on arriving in the UK, will be free to come and go."

Louise, Deborah, Victoria, Sandra, Melissa, Christina, Samantha and Gina, all of whom have lived in Piddington for years, spoke to GB News's Christopher Hope ahead of the debate tomorrow.

Louise Brooker told The People's Channel that they want to show MPs they "completely disagree" with their asylum plans.

Ms Brooker continued: "We fear for our safety, we fear for the safety of our families. And today we're here as the women of Piddington.

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"But we speak for all women in the UK. It's not just a problem that is happening in Piddington, it is happening across the country and the Government need to get a grip of the out-of-control immigration that we are seeing as a country.

"It's a Government failure on your doorstep. They can't control the border, and now you're left by feeling unsafe in your community.

"And they won't reach out and speak to us.

"So as a small village, we are very proud that we are managing to get to day to speak to them. If they won't come to us, we've come to them now."

Since the plan was revealed in June, women in the village have since written to every female MP in Parliament but have only received a handful of replies.

Ms Morrissey even claimed Bridget Phillipson has refused to meet the group of worried women.

The Beaconsfield MP said: "Labour claim they want to protect women and girls but they're doing nothing about all of these male migrants coming en masse."

A spokesman from the Home Office said: "The Government is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, with over £1billion in savings since the election.

"This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites that are designed to be self-contained, with 24-hour security and CCTV to minimise the impact on the local community.

"And finally, while no final decisions have been taken on the future use of Mod Bicester, if the Cyprus cedes, we will work with local authorities and police forces to maintain the safety and security of those in the surrounding area."

Andy Burnham claimed Manchester City's Premier League charges were never mentioned during his dealings with the club's owners.

The Prime Minister revealed all of his meetings earlier in the week after facing calls to share his links with club officials.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Burnham was asked whether anyone at the club raised the charges they faced after being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules last month.

The Prime Minister said: "They did not raise those issues with me.

"I'm very happy, Mr Speaker, for everything to be set out in full.

"It is why I asked the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), in response to a call from the leader of the opposition and others, to set out a full statement of my key dealings with the owners of Manchester City Football Club.

"That statement was published on Monday, and it includes the issues in the news today. And that is the position."

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who previously called on Burnham to release the meetings when speaking to GB News, later accused the Prime Minister of "bumbling into a row still ongoing about Manchester City".

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She said: "I don't think his carefully worded answer to (Mr Mayhew, the MP who asked the question) is going to suffice. It doesn't sound like that one's going away.

"Does he ever get tired of putting his foot in his mouth?"

Details dealing with the Citizens were published on Monday, with a GMCA spokesman saying: "In October 2021 Andy Burnham, in his role as mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.

"In his capacity as mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany's testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.

"Also during his time as mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of mayoral international visits.

"This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City staff supporting visits to China and Japan."

Burnham has been accused of covering up his links to City after a new probe showed he joined City's chairman twice in a luxury hospitality suite at the Etihad Stadium in a deleted register of interests.

The investigation has suggested Mr Burnham accepted City-funded freebies worth almost £1,200.

Details of the freebies were logged in a register he signed on December 7, 2020; however, the GMCA removed the register from its website.

Downing Street has sought to downplay the findings, with Mr Burnham's press secretary pointing to a passage in the statement that said: "He was a guest of Manchester City at home matches on a small number of occasions.

"The PM's attendance and the hospitality he received at them was declared in the usual way."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Four in five jobs created in Britain since 2014 have gone to foreign nationals, while the number of migrants also claiming out-of-work benefits has risen by 2.3 million, according to a damning new think tank report.

Analysis by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) found payroll employment increased by around 3.7 million between 2014 and the end of 2025.

Of those additional jobs, 734,000 went to British nationals, compared with 408,000 to EU nationals - and some 2.5 million to non-EU nationals.

The figures form part of 'State of Dependency', a 250-page report examining the rising cost of welfare and the relationship between immigration and employment.

The CSJ, founded by former Conservative Cabinet minister Sir Iain Duncan Smith, said successive Governments had relied on overseas workers to fill vacancies, while failing to improve employment prospects for millions of people already living in Britain.

The trend accelerated after 2020, during what the report describes as the “Boriswave” of immigration.

Between January 2020 and December 2025, payroll jobs held by non-EU nationals increased by 2.1 million, while those held by British nationals fell by 186,000.

British employment declined in nine of the UK’s 12 major regions over the period, with Scotland recording the largest fall of 53,000 fewer payroll jobs held by British nationals.

The growth in overseas employment was concentrated in sectors such as health and social care, hospitality, administration and retail - with these four industries accounting for around two-thirds of the increase in non-EU payroll employment.

Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said: “This report illustrates just how harmful mass migration has been for the jobs market. Reform will reverse Rachel Reeves’s jobs tax for British workers, paid for by a levy on migrant labour, to put British workers first again.”

At the same time as migrants to Britain are scooping up employment opportunities, the report also highlights the rising number of foreign nationals receiving state support.

An estimated 1.85 million non-British adults received at least one form of benefit or the state pension in 2025, after accounting for people receiving multiple forms of support.

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Around 1.4 million foreign nationals receive working-age benefits, including some 1.3 million claiming Universal Credit, which has increased by 38 per cent since April 2022.

The CSJ estimates that benefits, pensions and child-related support for foreign nationals cost £23billion in 2025, including £14.3billion in working-age benefits, £2.9billion in pension-related payments and £5.8billion in child-related support.

The total is forecast to approach £27billion by 2030.

Overall, 6.7 million people across England, Wales and Scotland now receive at least one out-of-work benefit, equivalent to around one in six working-age adults.

The working-age benefits bill is projected to reach £136.1billion in 2026-27 - almost £50billion higher in real terms than in 2019-20.

Sir Iain said: “Britain’s immigration and welfare systems were founded on the expectation that those arriving here should be able to support themselves and their families.

“But at a time when families and businesses are being clobbered with yet more taxes, many will be deeply concerned at the extent to which governments have let unconstrained immigration drive up the welfare bill.

“We must urgently now restore contribution and reciprocity to the welfare system while helping the millions of Brits on out-of-work benefits back towards a better future for themselves and their families. We have done this before, we can do it again.”

A Government spokesman said: “The vast majority of this country’s workforce is made up of UK nationals, and we have introduced a number of changes including a new skills-based migration system to put British workers first and welcome the high-skilled talent that our economy needs.

“We are also reforming the welfare system by creating almost a million work opportunities for young people through our youth guarantee, while investing £3.5billion to help disabled people and those with long-term health conditions move closer to the labour market.”

Scottish swimmer Archie Goodburn, who is living with three inoperable brain tumours, is set to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street in a bid for greater investment in brain cancer research.

The 25-year-old previously called for Burnham to introduce a brain cancer leader to give patients a chance to "fight for their lives".

The Prime Minister subsequently reached out to Goodburn via social media to arrange the meeting.

The swimmer issued an emotional plea ahead of their discussion, breaking down in tears as he called for change.

"Please establish a national brain cancer lead and give us a chance to fight for our lives because the things that patients are going through out there are unbelievable and so unjust," he told the BBC.

"There are clinical trials around the world, in the US, in Australia, in China, that could change lives. We are not seeing them in the UK, and it is unfair and unjust.

"Please invest and make the difference. I'm on my knees begging for - not just my own life - but for those of my best friends and those that are affected and the families around the country.

"This has to change. It's been going for too long and the suffering is unbearable."

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Goodburn continued: "We cannot accept the status quo in the system, we cannot be risk-averse. People are dying.

"My advocacy has opened doors to have conversations at the highest level of Government about the injustices faced by the brain tumour community and campaign for change for myself and for them.

"But I hope I can also inspire people on an individual level."

Goodburn competed at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he reached the 50m breaststroke final.

His health concerns first emerged while he was preparing for the 2024 Olympic trials, when he began experiencing numbness and seizures during training sessions.

Medical investigations revealed three large oligodendrogliomas - a rare form of cancer capable of affecting both the brain and spinal cord.

The swimmer underwent both chemotherapy and radiotherapy in an effort to tackle the tumours, but doctors determined that surgical removal was not possible.

Goodburn is now channelling all of his energy into campaigning for better treatment options and research funding.

The charity Brain Tumour Research said brain tumours are the leading cancer killer of people under 40 in the UK, with charitable organisations providing more than three-quarters of total national research funding and Government contributions accounting for just 25 per cent.

The Rare Cancers Bill, steered through parliament by Edinburgh South West MP Scott Arthur, was enacted earlier this year, seeking to boost research and investment into cancers affecting fewer than one in every 2,000 people.

Goodburn argues the legislation did not go far enough, saying a dedicated brain cancer lead would improve research and trials.

Arthur called the act "vital" but acknowledged the Downing Street meeting could drive further progress.

"I hope his meeting with the prime minister is a moment for concrete progress to be made," he said.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Donald Trump has posted a bizarre AI video showing him tackle and hug a tiger which mauled a man to death at a wildlife park in Yorkshire.

Donning a suit and tie, the AI-generated video shows the President chasing down the Amur tiger, throwing the apex predator to the ground before they both hug.

The video appears to mirror the online footage shared when William Chapman entered the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday.

The AI video shows Mr Trump sitting on the floor as the two playfully fight each other.

The faked video has The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens playing in the background, a video which has been described as "ghoulish" online.

Last night, the US President shared the actual footage of William Chapman being attacked by Altai, the 440lb Siberian tiger.

In the post, the President said: "Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT."

The shared video shows the apex predator on Saturday clawing and batting at the victim as he was sat inside the enclosure.

Later that afternoon, Mr Chapman was confirmed to have died after being seriously injured during the shocking encounter.

And, just seconds after sharing the first video of the attack last night, Mr Trump shared a compilation video of big cats attacking people.

The compilation was not free of AI-generated content either, with one video of a lion breaking through a glass window to attack a zookeeper.

After Mr Trump shared the controversial video, the 23-year-old victim's family said "deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress".

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They also posted a tribute describing Mr Chapman as a "bright, warm and engaging young man".

The grieving family also condemned mounting online speculation over Mr Chapman's personal circumstances.

In a statement, they said: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

"The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this.

"The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.”

They added: "William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.

"Sadly, William suffered from significant mental illness over a number of years and was consequently prescribed strong medication.

"It will be for the coroner to decide what part this played in his death. We would ask everybody to respect that process."

An inquest is due to open into Mr Chapman's death at Doncaster Coroner’s Court tomorrow morning.

The BBC has asked a federal judge in Florida to order Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster, accusing the President’s legal team of failing to arrange a date for him to give evidence.

In a motion filed yesterday, the BBC’s lawyers said the two sides had initially agreed that Mr Trump would be deposed this Friday.

However, despite months of efforts to arrange a suitable location, the President’s legal team said he could no longer attend in a last-minute cancellation.

According to the filing, Mr Trump’s lawyers informed the BBC’s counsel on September 28 that the President “is no longer available for his deposition on October 16 due to other matters of national importance”.

The legal team had indicated it would quickly propose an alternative date, but failed to do so.

Instead, it eventually suggested that Mr Trump could be available in the second or third week of January - a timetable that would fall well beyond the deadline for completing the discovery phase of the litigation.

The BBC’s lawyers had agreed to keep the location of the deposition confidential, citing the need to protect the President’s safety.

The broadcaster is now asking the court to intervene and require Mr Trump’s legal team to confirm a date, arrange a secure location and ensure that the deposition takes place within the case’s discovery timetable.

“Plaintiff chose to file this lawsuit and, in doing so, he accepted the obligations of civil litigation,” the BBC’s motion reads.

“The BBC therefore asks the Court to compel Plaintiff to confirm a date for his deposition, notify the BBC of a secure location where such deposition is possible and any other logistics required to ensure Plaintiff’s safety, and sit for the deposition, as the core rules of discovery require.”

The motion continued: “Nearly eight months into discovery, after seven depositions of BBC witnesses, and with only two months of discovery remaining, the BBC still has not been able to depose, and does not even have a schedule to depose, the most central figure in this case: Plaintiff himself."

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Magistrate judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett has scheduled a hearing on discovery issues for October 22, where the dispute over Mr Trump’s deposition is likely to be addressed.

The President filed the lawsuit in December 2025, accusing the BBC of violating Florida’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act over the editing of a Panorama documentary.

The programme combined excerpts from remarks he made during a rally on January 6 2021, prompting allegations that the edit misrepresented his speech.

The BBC later apologised for the error, but maintains the Florida federal court lacks personal jurisdiction over the broadcaster, and defends the edit on grounds of a lack of "actual malice".

The case is part of a broader history of legal action by Mr Trump against media organisations over their reporting and coverage of him.

A spokesman for Mr Trump’s legal team defended the lawsuit, and accused the broadcaster of deliberately distorting the president’s remarks.

They said: “The formerly respected and now disgraced BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election.

“The BBC has a long pattern of deceiving its audience in coverage of President Trump, all in service of its own leftist political agenda.

"President Trump’s powerhouse lawsuit is holding the BBC accountable for its defamation and reckless election interference just as he has held other fake news mainstream media responsible for their wrongdoing.”

Tags: meme, funny, wtf, humor, random

16 points, 14 comments.

Republican campaigners are demanding that Senedd Members stage a walkout during King Charles III's address at the ceremonial opening of the Seventh Senedd tomorrow and instead stand alongside demonstrators gathered outside the building.

The protest, organised by the group Real Democracy Now, is set to begin at 11am at the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff Bay on Thursday, October 15.

Activists plan to use the occasion to press their case for abolishing the monarchy, which they regard as fundamentally incompatible with democratic governance.

The group has urged elected members to publicly condemn the Welsh Government's decision to extend an invitation to the King for the ceremony.

Adam Johannes, a leading figure in Real Democracy Now, is spearheading the campaign, calling on politicians to refuse to attend the royal address and instead declare their support for a republic.

Thursday's event will be a historic first for Charles, who has previously attended every official Senedd opening but has never presided over the ceremony as Head of State.

His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, performed the duty at each post-election session from the inaugural National Assembly for Wales in 1999 until she died in 2022.

The ceremony carries additional significance as it marks the first opening since the Senedd was enlarged to 96 members, a landmark moment in the evolution of Welsh democratic institutions.

Senedd Members, invited guests and selected performers will attend the formal proceedings, which will officially inaugurate the new parliamentary term.

Mr Johannes described the spectacle of a hereditary monarch inaugurating an elected Parliament as absurd, telling Nation.Cymru: "An unelected king opening an elected Senedd. What an insult. You couldn't make it up, could you?"

He argued that voters choose their representatives only to see them forced to defer to someone whose sole credential is inherited wealth and lineage: "What on earth is democratic about that?"

The campaigner characterised the Crown as a vestige of feudalism: "The monarchy is nothing more than a brand symbol for inequality. It encourages us to accept as normal the idea that people can exercise power without being elected or held to account."

He reserved particular scorn for left-leaning politicians in the Senedd: "What's particularly pathetic is watching politicians fall over themselves to bow to the Crown and prove how respectable they are. Not one Senedd Member has had the courage to publicly oppose the King's visit."

Ann Davies, a fellow member of Real Democracy Now, said she intended to join the demonstration during her lunch hour, attending as both a trade unionist and a worker grappling with the cost-of-living crisis.

She drew a sharp contrast between the King's vast personal fortune and the daily hardships endured by ordinary Welsh families: "When Wales suffers some of the highest levels of poverty and low pay in the UK, what an insult it is to working class people to see an unelected billionaire king, with his castles and vast estates, elevated above the rest of us while we struggle to pay the bills, keep a roof over our heads and put food on the table."

Ms Davies added that the King should redistribute his inherited fortune if he possessed any sense of moral responsibility: "If the King had even an ounce of decency, he'd give away all his unearned inherited wealth to help hard-working families like mine pay our gas and electricity bills this winter."

The group's concerns extend well beyond the Royal Family itself. Real Democracy Now contends that banks, major corporations, the media, the civil service, intelligence agencies, police, military and the House of Lords all exercise significant power without sufficient democratic accountability.

Mr Johannes has form when it comes to organising republican demonstrations. He previously helped stage a large protest against King Charles's Coronation in Cardiff, during which hundreds of marchers paraded through the city with chants of "Down with the Crown" and "Not My King."

Despite the planned disruption outside, the ceremony itself will feature a programme of cultural performances by musicians, dancers and artists from across Wales. Among those due to perform are Mared Emry Pugh-Evans, the Official Harpist to His Majesty The King, and the Wales YFC Choir.

Broad opinion surveys across Wales routinely demonstrate that roughly 55 to 60 per cent of the public favour retaining the monarchy, compared to approximately 20 to 25 per cent who support an elected head of state.

GB News has contacted the Senedd, the Welsh Youth Parliament and the Wales Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs choir for comment.

Tags: pc, master race

16 points, 12 comments.

Chancellor John Healey is preparing a £1billion tax raid on major online marketplaces in his maiden Budget.

The crackdown will force the e-commerce platforms to collect VAT directly from retailers selling goods on their sites for the first time.

Online marketplaces would be responsible for collecting VAT when customers buy from business sellers whose annual turnover exceeds £90,000, under the plans reported by The Times.

The proposal aims to tackle a loophole used mainly by overseas sellers to avoid paying VAT, taking advantage of weak enforcement.

Mr Healey expects the change to raise up to £1billion, which would fund cuts to business rates for high street shops.

Concerns about tax avoidance by overseas retailers have grown in recent years, particularly over Chinese sellers setting up sham UK companies.

Chinese nationals have set up tens of thousands of shell companies in the UK, using their VAT registration numbers to appear as British sellers on online marketplaces. The accounts are then abandoned before tax demands arrive.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have accused HMRC of failing to take the issue seriously enough. They warned that overseas sellers exploiting gaps in enforcement were undercutting British businesses.

In 2025, the committee said the estimated £5.5billion lost each year through these practices could be just the "tip of the iceberg".

There is no suggestion that the online marketplaces themselves have acted improperly.

During the Makerfield by-election, Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to raise the business rates threshold so that 140,000 small high street shops would no longer have to pay the tax at all.

The commitment was estimated to cost around £880million.

Mr Burnham said at the time that he wanted to support family-owned businesses, which he described as the "heart and soul of this country", and give them "the chance to thrive".

A Treasury source explained that Mr Healey's goal was to "protect local family businesses and the high streets we love".

The source added: "That means having the beauticians and white van drivers of our towns at the forefront of his mind as the Budget draws nearer."

Mr Burnham had previously suggested funding the business rates relief by imposing a new tax on out-of-town warehouses, but ministers have now abandoned that idea following fierce opposition from retail leaders.

John Lewis executive chairman Jason Tarry said last week that a warehouse levy would "reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of how modern high streets work".

Industry figures warned that taxing warehouses would inevitably drive up costs for retailers and ultimately lead to higher prices for consumers.

The decision to target online sellers instead is likely to sit more comfortably with the retail sector, which has long argued that bricks-and-mortar shops face an unfair tax burden compared with their digital rivals.

Amazon said it backed the proposal, estimating it would raise roughly £700million for the exchequer.

An Amazon spokesman said: "Closing this loophole will raise significant revenue for the exchequer and simplify compliance for both HMRC and legitimate sellers."

Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, cautioned that the £90,000 threshold leaves room for continued abuse.

He said: "This is a step in the right direction but the Treasury needs to go further and make online marketplaces responsible for collecting every penny of VAT on the sales made on their platform."

He warned: "Unless that happens these Chinese sham companies will find just another way around the rules."The Budget is due on October 28, with Mr Healey facing a challenging fiscal backdrop. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said on Monday that the Chancellor confronts a £35billion bill to maintain current spending commitments and increase defence funding to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.

The IMF has urged Mr Healey not to pursue unfunded giveaways, while he has already ruled out raising capital gains tax to match income tax rates.

Nigel Farage has hit back at Kemi Badenoch over his "offer to give the Chagos Islands" to Donald Trump in exchange for his silence on the Falklands.

The Tory leader criticised the Reform UK leader after his "humiliating" comments, saying the hypothetical deal was "careless, loose talk" from the MP.

Mrs Badenoch appeared to indicate that Mr Farage wanted to give up the archipelago entirely. She said: "Giving away British territory in return for someone keeping quiet is not a deal. It is humiliating."

However, Reform spokesman further clarified that the Trump ally was "talking about the Americans using Diego Garcia in perpetuity and not the Chagos Islands as a whole".

And, after the row bubbled overnight, the Reform UK leader said: "Kemi is lying again. She just can’t help herself."

The White House also backed up the populist leader, saying that "at no point did anyone in the administration construe Nigel’s comments as suggesting that he was giving away the Chagos"

A spokesman added: "He was obviously referring to the use of the Diego Garcia military base, which is critical to countering threats from China and Iran.

"Anyone claiming otherwise is peddling fake news and undermining the Anglo-American relationship, including, apparently, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch."

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Andy Burnham accused of cover-up over links to scandal-hit Man City as new freebies come to light

Andy Burnham has been accused of covering up links to Manchester City as new freebies have emerged.

A new probe has revealed a deleted register of interests, suggesting that while Mr Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester, he twice joined City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in a luxury hospitality suite at the Etihad Stadium.

The investigation has suggested Mr Burnham accepted City-funded freebies worth almost £1,200.

Details of the freebies were logged in a register he signed on December 7 2020; however, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority removed the register from its website.

READ MORE HERE.

President Donald Trump has said a "massive" oil, gas and mineral exploration is about to begin in Greenland.

The President claimed the amount of oil in the Danish territory is "far greater than that of almost any land".

Last month, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed an agreement to ease tensions after President Trump repeatedly threatened to take control of the strategically located, mineral-rich island.

Now, the President has indicated that oil, gas and mineral exploration on the territory is about to begin.

Writing on his Truth Social, President Trump said: "Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!"

"There are experts that are saying that the amount of easily available oil is far greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the World and, even more importantly, from a security purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, is second to none.

"Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defence will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived.

"It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the World! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

The deal signed between Washington, Denmark and Greenland expands the US military's role in Greenland, paving the way for two new military bases and President Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defence system.

In return, the agreement reaffirms Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination.

The deal follows months of pressure from President Trump, who has long said he wants the US to control Greenland and has at times refused to rule out military or economic force to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Washington's threats, which peaked in January, triggered a diplomatic crisis within Nato and pushed Denmark and Greenland into negotiations with the US to defuse the pressure.

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In his speech to the assembled world leaders at the UN before the signing ceremony, President Trump said the agreement gives the US "permanent control over security and all other needs on that territory."

He said: "No US adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland any more, or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval."

President Trump signed the agreement with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in a trilateral ceremony after his UN speech.

Prime Minister Frederiksen described the agreement as a deal that can "last forever" and said it underlines the importance of the Nato alliance and respects Greenland's right to self-determination.

Prime Minister Nielsen emphasised the importance of Nato in the Arctic region, adding: "We believe that it is vital to keep Nato strong, also in the Arctic, where the alliance has a key role to play."

At a press conference after the signing, he said Greenlanders must now restore trust with the US, following President Trump's threats.

Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a political science professor at the University of Copenhagen: "I believe the crisis is over now, but I don't think the conflict is over in the sense that this agreement could very well be used, if the Americans wish, as a platform to force through further concessions."

Greenland, a former colony and now a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, sits between the Arctic and North America and holds vast energy resources.

The US already operates Pituffik Space Base in remote northwestern Greenland.

The deal opens two new military sites: Narsarsuaq, a former Cold War airbase whose population has dwindled to just a few dozen, and Mestersvig, currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit.

President Trump said: "We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate location. We will be building two very major military bases."

Tags: maga, donald trump

14 points, 34 comments.

President Donald Trump shared graphic footage of a man being fatally attacked by a tiger in Yorkshire.

The President posted the short clip to his Truth Social page with the signed message: "Don’t ever mess with nature!"

It showed the animal biting and clawing the victim as he sat in the enclosure, but not him being killed.

President Trump followed this up a short time later with a separate post featuring a video montage that appeared to show a series of other people being mauled by lions, accompanied by an upbeat soundtrack.

A health and safety investigation has been launched into the incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, where a man named in reports as William Chapman was killed after entering the tiger enclosure on Saturday.

The park will remain closed on Wednesday, marking a fifth day since the attack.

Emergency services were contacted shortly after 1.30pm on October 10 when Mr Chapman, who police said was visiting the park alone, entered the enclosure.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Chapman had suffered from "significant mental illness over a number of years", his family added in a statement.

A statement said: "The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.

“The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this.

“The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.”

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According to footage posted in reports, Mr Chapman appeared to have filmed the moment he approached the animal.

A short clip, apparently posted on a now-deleted Instagram account, was filmed inside the tiger’s enclosure

In the footage, the large animal can be seen lying on a wooden platform a few metres in front of the camera.

The person filming can be heard breathing heavily as voices off camera shout: "Oh my God" and: "Seriously."

City of Doncaster Council, which licenses the park, said on Monday it had started a health and safety investigation.

Dan Swaine, executive director of place at City of Doncaster Council, said: "As the relevant licensing authority for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I can confirm that, in line with our statutory duties, the council has launched a health and safety investigation.

"We are also working with multiple agencies, including the police and health agencies, and are supporting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in response to the incident.

"At this time, we won’t be commenting further on the individual or the investigation and we ask that the privacy of those involved is respected at this difficult time."

In a previous social media statement, the wildlife park said “many, many people” had contacted them about Altai, the Amur tiger involved in the incident, and confirmed he is “safe and well” and will not be euthanised.

France has doubled the number of riot police on northern beaches in its latest bid to stop small-boat crossings.

The Home Office has confirmed that the number of police patrolling the country’s northern beaches has been doubled from 50 to 100.

Additional officers from the Compagnie Républicaine de Sécurité (CRS), France’s main anti-riot unit, will be sent to the Channel coast until March 2027.

They will be on standby for so-called red days, when favourable weather and sea conditions make crossing attempts highly likely.

According to the Home Office, CRS officers will have specialist public order powers to stop large groups from gathering and boarding boats.

They will be funded by the three-year £662million UK-France deal agreed in April.

According to French operational data provided by the Home Office, authorities have prevented some 50,000 attempts by migrants to cross the Channel by boat since the 2024 general election.

Smuggling gangs have been launching dinghies from a wider area in recent months, in an effort to evade French authorities.

Earlier this month, a dinghy set off from near Utah Beach in Normandy before being brought into Gosport in Hampshire.

Departures so far west have been rare in recent years, but it was the third such crossing in the space of a month.

Recorded Channel crossings are at their lowest since 2021, with 20,935 arrivals so far this year.

This is down 42 per cent on this time last year (36,244), and 19 per cent below the figure at this stage in 2023 (25,931)

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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Our collective efforts, on both sides of the Channel, are having an impact.

"Every prevention made by officers is a blow to the smugglers behind this trade. But we are not complacent.

"We will be relentless in pursuing the criminal gangs and bearing down on the small boats."

Labour is looking to keep up with the ongoing migrant crisis after the "one in, one out" deal with France, aimed at curbing Channel crossings, was scrapped last month.

Under the scheme, people who arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel could be detained and returned to France in exchange for an equivalent number of asylum seekers who applied through a safe and legal route.

As of October 1, some 1,500 asylum seekers had been deported, while slightly fewer came to Britain from France, GB News understands.

Deportation flights will continue in the coming weeks for those already detained.

Meanwhile, Reform UK came under fire from all sides after the party's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said the party would let the Royal Marines use “lethal force” against migrants crossing the Channel without permission.

Conservative leader and Mr Jenrick's former colleague Kemi Badenoch said: "Talking about using lethal force is talking about killing people. That’s basically what they’re saying.

"We want to make sure that we can patrol our borders robustly but we also need to speak in a way that the public can recognise that we’re taking great care with people’s lives."

Labour Party Chair Bridget Phillipson described the proposal as "disgusting and illegal", adding: "Our armed forces are not going to start opening fire on unarmed civilians, and Reform are dragging their own reputations and credibility into the gutter by suggesting it.”

Andy Burnham has been accused of covering up links to Manchester City as new freebies have emerged.

A new probe has revealed a deleted register of interests, suggesting that while Mr Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester, he twice joined City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in a luxury hospitality suite at the Etihad Stadium.

The investigation has suggested Mr Burnham accepted City-funded freebies worth almost £1,200, reports The Sun.

Details of the freebies were logged in a register he signed on December 7 2020; however, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority removed the register from its website.

In August 2017, Mr Burnham dined with Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese and Mr Al Mubarak in a match against Everton.

He declared this on his register of interests, valued at £338, and reported it as being provided by “Manchester City Football Club”.

In April 2018, Mr Burnham met with the chairman and was wined and dined during the Manchester derby, with the meal and seat valued at £699.

One month later, Mr Burnham was handed two tickets worth £150 to see pop singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran perform at the Etihad during his Divide tour.

Mr Burnham was pictured arriving at a charity dinner organised by former City Captain Vincent Kompany at Manchester’s Hilton Hotel, where Noel Gallagher took the stage.

While freebies from Mr Burnham’s second term as Mayor of Greater Manchester remain accessible online, all those from his first stint have been taken down.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Mr Burnham had a formal meeting with Mr Al Mubarak at an investment summit, chatted to him in the stands at Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, and was accompanied by staff from the club on official overseas visits.

The combined authority released details of the Prime Minister’s contacts with the scandal-hit club and its Abu Dhabi owners during his time as Greater Manchester mayor.

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Mr Burnham told MPs that "all of my dealings" with Manchester City’s owners would be published.

A Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) spokesman said earlier this week: "In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.

"In his capacity as mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared as usual."

The spokesman added that representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would "routinely join business delegations as part of mayoral international visits."

Other examples included delegates from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City staff supporting visits to China and Japan.

GB News has contacted the GMCA for further comment. Downing Street declined to comment.

Shadow sports minister Louie French said the disclosure of Mr Burnham’s meetings was “far from the full transparency that football fans deserve”.

He said: “Burnham cannot hide behind the GMCA; he must take responsibility for this himself. We have been given precious little information about these meetings, what was discussed and what may have been agreed.

“If Burnham has nothing to hide, why is he being so tight-lipped? His bizarre intervention in defence of Man City’s owners has raised serious concerns among fans.

“It’s time for the Prime Minister to come clean about his relationship with City Football Group so the public can make their own conclusions.”

City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. The club maintained their innocence and appealed against the verdict.

Mr Burnham said last month he would be "really concerned" if City’s Abu Dhabi owners sold the club in the wake of the finding, crediting them with being "a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester".

Downing Street sought to clarify his comments afterwards, saying the Prime Minister was clear that the judgment is serious and that where wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the consequences.

Nigel Farage has said he would do a deal involving the Chagos Islands with Donald Trump if he were Prime Minister.

The Reform UK leader has been criticised by Kemi Badenoch for his comments, made on the Benny Show with Benny Johnson.

According to The Telegraph, Mr Farage told the podcast that, if he were Prime Minister: "I’d have gone in and said, 'Right, you know what, mate? Chagos, it’s yours.' Diego Garcia, in perpetuity, the most strategic American military base in the world, which it is.

"Outside mainline America, Diego is the most important thing America has for nuclear subs, for long-range bombers, for all of it.

"I'd have said, 'Right, I’m guaranteeing you that. I’m giving up on this surrender. In return, just please stop talking about the Falkland Islands. I know you like [Javier] Milei, but this really matters to us’. And there’s a trade, you see."

Mr Farage later added: "I give him something. I ask for something back. He’d get that. He’d understand that. He’s a businessman. He’s a trader."

The leader of Reform faced backlash from Mrs Badenoch, who claimed his comments were a "humiliating" admission that he would cease control of the archipelago.

"Giving away British territory in return for someone keeping quiet is not a deal," she said. "It is humiliating.

"There is no pride in our country in the way he talks about us.

"This is careless, loose talk from a man who wants to be responsible for Britain’s national security."

She described it as "mad for someone who wants to be prime minister to say we should give away one piece of British territory just to stop an American president talking about another".

A Reform spokesman told the newspaper that it was "quite clear Nigel was talking about the Americans using Diego Garcia in perpetuity and not the Chagos Islands as a whole".

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They added that "no one has fought harder to save the Chagos Islands from being given away than Nigel".

The Tory leader, however, was unmoved by the distinction, maintaining both territories are indisputably British and should remain so regardless of American pressure.

"When Donald Trump is right, we should say so. When he is wrong, we should have the confidence to tell him," she declared.

The row unfolds against the backdrop of a contentious sovereignty deal initiated under Sir Keir Starmer, which would see Britain cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius whilst retaining control of the Diego Garcia military base.

That agreement was frozen in April following objections from the Trump administration. Andy Burnham, since assuming office, has pledged to press forward with the arrangement and bring Washington on side.

But at a bilateral meeting of Mr Burnham and Donald Trump, the President said the much-maligned deal was "terrible" and highlighted the strategic importance of the joint military base Diego Garcia during the Iran war.

President Trump has meanwhile been making increasingly pointed remarks about the Falkland Islands. In August, he announced a review of America's stance on British sovereignty over the archipelago, linking the move to a dispute over defence spending.

The president has also suggested that Washington might not come to Britain's aid should a future conflict with Argentina arise over the territory.

Argentine President Javier Milei has simultaneously intensified his country's claims to the islands - a sovereignty Argentina has never held in law.

Mr Milei has been accused of "bullying" the Falkland Islands community as tensions reignite over the sovereignty of the territory.

Uma Kumaran, minister for Overseas Territories and Caribbean, today announced a four-step plan to counter Argentina's "escalating campaign" in the region, including "mobilising international partners" to "stand against the intimidation of companies undertaking lawful business."

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will also "deploy the powers available to him under the protection of trading interests legislation against any Argentine measures that seek to influence or regulate lawful activity".

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Traditional British surnames could be dying out as they make way for names such as Khan, Ahmed and Ali.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has revealed a striking decline in traditionally British surnames among newborns across England and Wales.

The figures, seen by the Daily Mail, span roughly three decades and paint a picture of profound change in the nation's demographic makeup.

Surnames that once dominated birth registrations - quintessentially British names passed down through generations - have seen sharp falls in prevalence.

Meanwhile, surnames with roots in South Asian and Muslim communities have climbed dramatically up the rankings.

The shift is among the most vivid statistical illustrations yet of how immigration and changing birth rates are reshaping the cultural landscape of England and Wales.

Back in 1996, Smith, Jones and Williams occupied the top three positions for newborn surnames. Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson completed that year's leading ten.

The picture in 2025 looks remarkably different. Today's top 10 reads: Smith, Khan, Ahmed, Ali, Jones, Hussain, Singh, Williams, Patel and Kaur.

Jones, whilst still featuring, has experienced a 43 per cent drop in popularity over the period. Williams has suffered a comparable decline, slipping to eighth place.

The remaining surnames that were fixtures of the 1990s list - Taylor, Brown, Davies, Evans, Thomas, Johnson and Wilson - have all fallen out of the top 10 entirely. They now sit between 11th and 17th position.

The surge in South Asian surnames has been dramatic. Khan, Ahmed and Ali have each doubled in frequency since 1996, while Singh and Kaur - traditionally adopted by Sikh men and women respectively - have risen at least fivefold.

Aman Bhogal from Global Britain UK told GB News: "Britain is now just a visa option for global migrants, an economic hub where people come to earn and send the money 'back home' and boast a 'settled status'.

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"And with it we are squandering our civilisational inheritance at the hands of a Whitehall long hooked on to mass migration.

"This massive demographic change is transforming our country rapidly in real time from the UK into the 'Yookay'.

"I have previously called for an emergency brake on all migration; without one, the country we recognise will be long gone."

The data relies on exact spelling, so different variations of the same surname are counted separately. Births where a surname appeared only once or twice were excluded from the dataset, ensuring statistical reliability across the 30-year comparison period.

Britain's pool of surnames is also growing more diverse. In 2025, more than 23,400 distinct surnames were recorded among newborns, a notable increase from the 21,600 logged three decades earlier.

Yet concentration at the top has thinned considerably. Just 23 surnames were given to a thousand or more babies last year, down sharply from 57 in 1996.

Smith, still the nation's most common surname, saw its numbers fall from 7,276 newborns to 4,102 over the period.

The findings arrive alongside separate ONS data published this summer confirming that Muhammad has held the position of most popular boys' name in England and Wales for a third consecutive year, with 5,957 boys receiving that specific spelling in 2025.

Olivia, meanwhile, retained the top spot among girls for a fourth year running.

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2 points, 31 comments.

Britain has vowed to defend businesses from Argentinean interference amid reports that Ed Miliband has approved a giant Falkland Islands oil field.

The Foreign Secretary is said to have approved the Sea Lion field, 130 miles north of the islands. It is believed to contain up to 1.7 billion barrels of oil.

Britain's Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum are due to begin extracting from the field within two years.

But the plans have angered Argentina, which still claims sovereignty over the islands. In a growing diplomatic row, its president, Javier Milei, vowed to stop the oil project, which he claims is “plundering” Argentine resources.

Last month he threatened sanctions to halt Sea Lion, the islands’ first major offshore oil development.

Argentina has even asked Interpol to detain executives involved in Sea Lion. The UK has responded by asking Interpol to reject the requests, which it claims are politically motivated.

Buenos Aries has now filed a request with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, seeking to halt further work.

The request "seeks to preserve Argentina's sovereign rights over its continental shelf and prevent activities authorized unilaterally and illegally by the United Kingdom," the Government said.

But the British Government hit back, vowing to protect companies from the “attempts by Argentina to coerce businesses engaged in lawful activity”.

It is preparing steps under Protection of Trading Interests legislation that “will protect businesses from pressure to comply with Argentine domestic measures”.

They will ensure that legal business in the Falkland Islands can “make commercial decisions in accordance with UK law”, the Government said, “underlining that the UK won’t hesitate to protect UK businesses and individuals”.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “This makes it clear in no uncertain terms - that this Government will act where Argentina seeks to impede lawful UK commercial activity.

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“We will introduce measures under the Protection of Trading Interests (PTI) legislation to protect UK interests and continue to engage closely with affected businesses.

“These steps send a clear signal that we will not stand by while Argentina seeks to apply their domestic legislation to impede legitimate commercial interests in the Falkland Islands.”

Mr Miliband said: “The UK’s support for the Falkland Islands is steadfast.

“Argentina’s attempts to intimidate businesses and individuals engaged in legitimate commercial activity are unacceptable. Companies should be free to make lawful commercial decisions without the threat of political coercion.

“We will always stand up for the Falkland Islanders, their right to determine their own future, and their right to pursue legitimate economic development.”

The Government repeated its support for the islands’ right to self-determination and said it was “engaging closely with affected businesses to offer support”.

The islands are self-governing and the UK Government has said oil exploration is a matter for Falklanders.

“They have the right to develop their natural resources as they see fit,” said overseas territories minister, Uma Kumaran, last month.

But the Governor must still seek the consent of the UK Foreign Secretary for the oil field. The Telegraph reported that this has now been given. GB News has contacted the Foreign Office for confirmation.

Although the decision is independent of UK energy policy, Mr Miliband’s involvement has invited comparisons to the North Sea, where two major sites – Rosebank and Jackdaw – remain in limbo after a legal challenge on climate grounds.

Mr Miliband was energy secretary from July 2024 until July this year.

Shadow energy secretary, Andrew Bowie, welcomed the Falkland news but asked why the future of the North Sea sites remained undecided.

He said: “The utter hypocrisy of Ed Miliband knows no end.

“Yes, this is a very welcome decision but it does beg the question, why does Labour think drilling for oil and gas off the Falkland Islands is okay but not in our North Sea?

“Labour have no excuse for not backing Jackdaw and Rosebank.”

Reform deputy leader and energy spokesman, Richard Tice, who has long backed North Sea exploration, posted on X: “Drill, Falklands, Drill.”

GB News Home and Security Editor, Mark White, has been reporting from the islands in the wake of the Argentine threats.

Defence sources have told him that Britain could protect the islands from any Argentinian military action.

The British military presence on the islands could be rapidly reinforced through the Mount Pleasant airbase in the event of any heightened threat, the source explained.

It comes as Argentina once again builds up its armed forces, buying combat jets and helicopters

The Falklands war in 1982 started after Argentinean soldiers landed on the islands. The 74 day conflict led to the deaths of 255 British troops and 649 Argentines. It ended with an Argentine surrender.

GB News can reveal that over 200 companies fined a total of over £9million for illegal working practices have been allowed to continue sponsoring foreign workers to come to the UK.

The GB News investigation, conducted in conjunction with Cambridge Circus Research (CCR) has revealed chaos at the heart of the Home Office’s visa system.

According to official records, 208 companies who were fined a total of £9.3million, have remained on the Home Office’s official visa sponsor register continually since they were fined.

The companies identified by GB News include care companies, fast food outlets, petrol stations, corner shops, bars and cafes, and a car dealership.

According to the Home Office’s guidelines, they will revoke the sponsor licences of companies who are fined two or more times for employing illegal workers, but only if one of those fines is ‘at the maximum amount’.

However they also say they will ‘normally revoke’ the licences of companies which ‘fail to comply’ with any of their sponsor duties, which include ‘complying with our immigration laws, including all parts of the Worker and Temporary Worker sponsor guidance’.

The guidelines also explicitly state that they ‘will normally revoke’ the licences of companies which receive two or more fines for illegal working, or where they are sponsoring a worker ‘subject to immigration control’ and ‘that worker does not have immigration permission to work in the UK or do the work in question’.

It is unclear which, if any, of the more than 200 companies met the Home Office's guidelines which would usually result in having their sponsor licences revoked.

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Commenting on this Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, told GB News: "It is totally unacceptable for any company to hire illegal workers.

"There must be tougher criminal sanctions for those who break the law to get cheap labour. It is a shame Shabana Mahmood does not have the backbone to crack down on illegal working or end mass low-skilled migration with a cap on the number of people coming set at a low level.

"That is exactly what the Conservatives will do."

Rob Bates, of the Centre for Migration Control, told GB News: “The register of sponsors is a complete mess. A plaything for unscrupulous businesses many of which play fast and loose with immigration law. A complete overhaul is required.”

GB News has contacted the Home Office for comment.

Reform UK has dropped to third place in the polls for the first time since 2024, according to YouGov.

The latest voting intention figures, provided for The Times and Sky News, put Labour in the lead on 24 per cent, down three percentage points.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are close behind on 23 per cent, up three points, while Reform UK sits in third place on 21 per cent, a fall of one point.

The Liberal Democrats have risen one point to 12 per cent, while the Green Party remains unchanged on 11 per cent.

However, the shifts all fall within the poll’s margin of error, meaning none of the changes are statistically significant.

Labour’s decline could be linked to the fading impact of its own party conference, as the temporary boost in attention begins to subside.

However, their figure of 24 remains higher than at any point during the final 12 months of Sir Keir Starmer's tenure.

The growth in Conservative support may reflect a so-called "conference bounce", with greater coverage surrounding the party conference potentially boosting their visibility and polling performance.

There, Kemi Badenoch delivered a rousing final-day speech, unveiled a £700million expansion to free childcare for high earners, and revealed a 95-page Thatcher-esque "manifesto" of principles titled The Right Way.

She also doubled down on her pledge the Tories would scrap inheritance tax on family homes and allow couples to leave up to £1million tax-free.

Mrs Badenoch said she is confident the Tories will climb in the polls and insisted today's polling was "just the beginning" of a revival.

"I am confident that the momentum will continue, because people are seeing the Conservative Party has changed under my leadership and there’s much more to come, this is just the beginning," she declared.

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"We left office two years ago, it was a historic defeat for the Conservative Party. We made a lot of mistakes."

"I have been showing the public that I understand what went wrong; apologised and acknowledged those mistakes. But we are the only party with common sense and a plan to unite the country.

"There’s no other party that has that combination. I think the public have been taking a long look at Reform and they don’t like what they see. What I need to show them is that if they don’t want a Labour Government there is only one credible alternative."

Both the Tories and Labour have experienced significant popularity bounces since May, when their combined voter share was 33 per cent - it now stands at 47 per cent.

The Conservative leader also said she believed the public had taken a “long look” at Nigel Farage’s party, behind which hers has repeatedly lagged over the past year, and decided they "don’t like what they see".

Reform UK last hit its peak of 29 per cent at the end of September 2025.

Pollsters have previously cited a threat to Mr Farage's party from Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain, with calls to "unite the right" ahead of a general election.

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Elon Musk has channelled upwards of $276million to support Donald Trump and his own super PAC (Political Action Committee), as the US President's popularity figures continue to diminish ahead of the midterm elections.

The funding was confirmed by a spokesman for Mr Musk's America PAC on Monday, ahead of a Federal Election Commission filing deadline on Thursday.

The sheer scale of the spending sits awkwardly alongside a pledge Musk made less than two years ago: "In terms of political spending, I'm going to do a lot less in the future," he remarked in May 2025.

Far from scaling back, the world's wealthiest person has now committed roughly $366million to federal committees across the entire 2025-26 election cycle - comfortably surpassing the approximately $290million he spent helping return President Trump to the White House in 2024.

The lion's share of the Tesla boss' recent funding - some $158million - was directed to the Senate Leadership Fund, the principal super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidates.

That single contribution represents the most the organisation has ever received from one donor in a quarter, and exceeds the total raised by its Democratic counterpart from all sources over the same period.

A further $76million flowed into America PAC, the super PAC Mr Musk established in 2024, which has built an extensive ground operation spanning seven Senate battlegrounds and close to three dozen House contests.

Beyond those headline sums, Mr Musk's representatives disclosed additional donations made between July and September: $20million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the main House Republican super PAC; $10million to the Lone Star Liberty PAC, which backs Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton; $10million to the Republican Governors Association; and $2million to the Republican Attorneys General Association.

On the ground, America PAC deployed nearly 3,000 paid canvassers last week nationwide, with Texas receiving particular attention.

Mr Musk, who resides in Austin and holds substantial business interests and property across the state, delivered his $10million to Mr Paxton's super PAC at a moment when the Republican was being significantly outspent.

This renewed spending spree comes against the backdrop of a repaired relationship between Mr Musk and President Trump.

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Following a very public rupture over the President's domestic policy legislation, the two have appeared together at three events in the past fortnight.

The President recently bestowed the National Medal of Science upon Mr Musk, calling him "our modern-day Thomas Edison."

Despite pouring record sums into the midterms, Mr Musk's personal involvement has diminished markedly compared with two years ago, with his barnstorming rallies absent this time round.

Day-to-day operational decisions at America PAC have been entrusted to Chris Young, his chief adviser.

Friends who have spoken with Musk in recent months say he rarely raises the midterms or the Trump presidency, preferring to concentrate on his business ventures.

His activity on X tells a similar story. A review found just seven direct posts this year referencing candidates in competitive midterm races - five concerning Talarico and one seemingly critical of Senator Susan Collins, a vulnerable Republican in Maine.

The $276million disclosed figure also understates his true outlay. Mr Musk has additionally made seven-figure donations through organisations not obliged to reveal their backers.

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Angela Rayner’s £15million community recovery fund financed "anti-Right-wing propaganda" via training materials designed to counter support for Reform UK and the Conservatives, according to fresh documents.

The fund was announced in 2024 by the then deputy prime minister to help communities recover from disorder following the Southport massacre.

She said it would ensure communities had the resources they needed to rebuild.

However, as revealed by The Telegraph, funding distributed through the scheme supported the Ella Baker School of Organising, which developed a training programme entitled "Defeating Narratives of Division".

Birmingham City Council provided £13,450 towards a pilot programme, while Blackpool Council contributed £9,000 for a local version - with training also delivered in Sheffield, Walsall, Solihull and Sefton, which includes Southport.

According to the documents, the programme included guidance on countering anti-immigration arguments, opposing protests and preventing working-class communities from moving towards right-wing politics.

An online booking form for a training session warned of an “impending disaster of a Reform UK government”.

Other materials described Nigel Farage as an “authoritarian populist" and encouraged activists to challenge narratives linking migration to pressure on public services and housing.

The training also advised participants to influence community leaders and organise campaigns around local issues to build support for a "more inclusive" political narrative.

Further documents reportedly singled out politicians such as Suella Braverman and Boris Johnson specifically as inflammatory figures.

Sir Keir Starmer was also criticised over his speech warning Britain could become an “island of strangers” due to immigration.

The training materials included exercises on organising campaigns against anti-immigration protests, using counter-demonstrations and social media, and influencing local councils.

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One hypothetical scenario involved a declining seaside town experiencing an influx of migrants, where local media coverage of migrant crime had fuelled tensions.

Another exercise asked participants to develop strategies to oppose Right-wing protests over limited social housing, including arguments that council housing should be prioritised for British nationals and local residents.

The programme was devised by the Ella Baker School of Organising, a network founded by former members of Hope Not Hate.

The organisation was reported to the Electoral Commission over alleged campaigning for Labour in the Makerfield by-election.

Funding was distributed through the Community Recovery Fund, which aimed to reduce the risk of further disorder following the 2024 riots and promote cohesion between communities.

Government guidance stated grants should support immediate action following public disorder and help bring communities back together.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Councils are not permitted to use taxpayers’ money to fund partisan issues or party-political activity."

The department added it had powers to recover money if it was found to have been misspent.

A new Policy Exchange report, supported by former health secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt and health select committee chair Layla Moran, has warned that Labour's decade-long NHS reform plan could force the closure of GP surgeries in villages across England.

The think tank argues that the Government's neighbourhood health model, unveiled by Wes Streeting last July, was built with urban populations in mind and fails to account for the realities of delivering care in the countryside.

According to the study, 116 constituencies — roughly a fifth of all seats in England — are exposed to what the authors describe as a "rural penalty," stemming from NHS funding and workforce policies that do not adequately address the difficulties of reaching dispersed communities.

The NHS plan aims to structure neighbourhood services around populations of 50,000, a threshold that policy experts say works in densely populated towns and cities but threatens to undermine healthcare access in rural areas. A broader framework envisions providers serving multiple neighbourhoods with combined populations of 250,000 or more.

In cities, tens of thousands of residents may live just a few miles apart, well connected by public transport. In the countryside, however, reaching the same number of patients can require covering vast stretches of land with few transport options.

Joe Robertson, the Isle of Wight East MP and a co-author of the report, cautioned against consolidating services. "Closing three village surgeries and sending everyone to the nearest large town for treatment would be a curious way of bringing care closer to home," he said.

England has lost approximately 1,000 GP practices over the past eight years, even as patient demand has continued to rise. Rural areas have been particularly affected: the countryside population expanded by around 8 per cent between 2014 and 2024, yet surgeries in those communities have continued to disappear.

The report highlights that current NHS funding formulas do not properly account for the elevated costs of serving geographically spread-out populations. Practices with smaller patient lists may appear less busy, but the authors note these figures can mask more frequent and complex consultations.

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Rural GPs also shoulder additional burdens created by local shortages of pharmacists, dentists and specialists. The existing funding formula's rurality adjustment applies to just 50 to 60 per cent of practice income, leaving a significant portion of revenue unweighted for rural factors.

Policy Exchange proposes an "unavoidably small practice adjustment" designed to safeguard surgeries where geographical isolation prevents economies of scale and where closure would cut off patient access.

The think tank also recommends introducing a compulsory "local access test" before any GP premises or community hospital can be shut, with the results made public.

Any additional funding weightings for rural primary care should be drawn from existing NHS budgets rather than requiring fresh spending, the report argues.

It further urges a review of NHS pay supplements, which currently offer financial incentives to staff working in and around London but provide no comparable allowance for rural areas. This imbalance, the authors warn, makes recruiting and retaining doctors and other healthcare professionals in the countryside significantly harder.

Layla Moran stressed that where someone lives should not determine the quality of care they receive. "No one should face poorer access to healthcare or worse health outcomes simply because they live in a rural or coastal community," she said.

Sir Jeremy Hunt emphasised the value of enduring doctor-patient bonds. "It is about knowing someone as a person, understanding their family, their circumstances, their wishes and what matters most to them," he said.

Gareth Lyon, who leads Policy Exchange's health and social care work, said the Government's ambition to move treatment into communities must take account of populations that are dispersed, ageing and subject to seasonal fluctuation. "Unless that changes, the 10-year health plan risks meaning fewer local services and longer journeys for large parts of England," he said.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This Government is putting a record £14billion into GP services this year, and we now have the highest number of fully qualified GPs in the workforce since 2015, with 2,600 extra family doctors recruited over the last two years.

"As a result of that progress, record numbers of GP appointments are now being delivered, and 77 per cent of patients now say they have a good local GP service.”

"We know there is more to do to ensure that GP services in every area of the country are properly-staffed and providing a better service, including in rural areas, and we will continue working to address those challenges."

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Chancellor John Healey has shut down pressure from within his own party to bring capital gains tax in line with income tax rates.

With his October 28 Budget just a fortnight away, Treasury sources have made clear that equalising the two levies is not on the table.

Four people close to the matter confirmed the proposal had been firmly dismissed.

One described it as "batshit crazy", while another argued that taxpayers would simply alter their behaviour by leaving the country or postponing asset sales, ultimately reducing government revenue.

Higher-rate taxpayers currently pay 24 per cent on profits from asset sales under capital gains tax.

That compares with a top income tax rate of 45 per cent.

The Treasury declined to comment.

Despite Mr Healey's rejection, the push for equalisation had gained significant momentum within Labour circles.

Louise Haigh, the first secretary of state, called for capital gains tax to be "brought closer to income tax rates" shortly before returning to government.

Lord Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader credited by Prime Minister Andy Burnham as one of his mentors, also backed the idea. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting similarly proposed aligning the two taxes.

Dale Vince, the entrepreneur and Labour donor, supported estimates suggesting the move could raise £14billion for the exchequer. The IPPR, the left-leaning think-tank, called it a "no-brainer".

Mr Healey is under pressure to find new sources of revenue for his Budget. The Institute for Fiscal Studies warned on Sunday that the government faces a £35billion gap in its spending plans, driven by rising interest rates and defence costs.

The interventions from senior Labour figures triggered anxiety among entrepreneurs, tech founders and tax advisers.

Business leaders used recent meetings with ministers to caution that raising capital gains tax would drive more wealthy individuals out of Britain.

Lord Jim O'Neill, who had advised Mr Burnham before declining a role in government, said he would be "most disappointed" by any increase.

"That would pour more fuel on this idea that every other wealthy person is planning to move to Place X," he added.

Rather than pursuing equalisation, the Treasury is developing capital gains relief measures aimed at persuading entrepreneurs to plough the proceeds of business sales back into the UK economy, according to three people familiar with the plans.

Business lobby groups such as Tech Nation, Startup Coalition and Enterprise Britain have urged the government to cut or defer capital gains obligations for those who reinvest in British start-ups and scale-ups within a set timeframe.

"If the UK wants to keep founder talent and capital here, it needs to compete just as seriously," Tech Nation said.

The chief executive of investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown is among City figures who have called on the government not to raise capital gains tax. However, a more modest increase in the levy has not been ruled out.

Angela Rayner’s £15 million community recovery fund financed "anti-Right-wing propaganda" via training materials designed to counter support for Reform UK and the Conservatives, according to fresh documents.

The fund was announced in 2024 by the then deputy prime minister to help communities recover from disorder following the Southport massacre. She said it would ensure communities had the resources they needed to rebuild.

However, as revealed by The Telegraph, funding distributed through the scheme supported the Ella Baker School of Organising, which developed a training programme entitled "Defeating Narratives of Division".

Birmingham City Council provided £13,450 towards a pilot programme, while Blackpool Council contributed £9,000 for a local version - with training also delivered in Sheffield, Walsall, Solihull and Sefton, which includes Southport.

According to the documents, the programme included guidance on countering anti-immigration arguments, opposing protests and preventing working-class communities from moving towards right-wing politics.

An online booking form for a training session warned of an “impending disaster of a Reform UK government”.

Other materials described Nigel Farage as an “authoritarian populist" and encouraged activists to challenge narratives linking migration to pressure on public services and housing.

The training also advised participants to influence community leaders and organise campaigns around local issues to build support for a "more inclusive" political narrative.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Councils are not permitted to use taxpayers’ money to fund partisan issues or party-political activity.”

The department added it had powers to recover money if it was found to have been misspent.

SNP invites Andy Burnham to conference amid renewed independence debate

The SNP has invited Andy Burnham to attend its conference in Aberdeen this weekend amid reports he will visit Scotland on Friday to discuss devolving powers to local councils.

SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said the Labour leader should attend the event at P&J Live, arguing it would provide an opportunity to discuss Scotland’s constitutional future.

He said Mr Burnham’s previous comments on Scottish independence made the conference a suitable place to support an agreed legal process for another referendum.

However, the Prime Minister has previously ruled out a second independence referendum, stating last month that there was “no clear consensus” for another vote.

In a recent conference speech, he also vowed to disprove claims he could become the UK’s last prime minister, following comments made by Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney.

The SNP conference begins on Thursday, marking the party’s first gathering since winning the most seats at the Holyrood election in May.

Mr Swinney recently said the independence movement had “turned a corner”, pointing to comments suggesting Scotland could hold another referendum if its people wanted one, alongside an agreement between pro-independence parties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, Mr Burnham reaffirmed his position that Scottish independence remained “off limits”, casting doubt on claims of progress towards a renewed referendum.

Reform UK falls to third place in latest voting intention poll

Reform UK has dropped to third place for the first time since 2024, according to a new YouGov poll for Sky News and The Times.

The latest voting intention figures put Labour in the lead on 24 per cent, down three percentage points, with the Conservatives close behind on 23 per cent, up three points.

Reform UK sits in third place on 21 per cent, a fall of one point.

The Liberal Democrats have risen one point to 12 per cent, while the Green Party remains unchanged on 11 per cent.

However, the shifts all fall within the poll’s margin of error, meaning none of the changes are statistically significant.

The increase in Conservative support may reflect a so-called “conference bounce”, with greater coverage surrounding the party conference potentially boosting their visibility and polling performance.

Meanwhile, Labour’s decline could be linked to the fading impact of its own party conference, as the temporary boost in attention begins to subside.

Ed Miliband says past few days have been 'very difficult' for UK-US relations over Ukraine

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has described the past few days as “very difficult” for UK-US relations over the conflict in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to import Russian diesel, questioned whether Ukraine needs new leadership, and claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin was more committed to a peace deal than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, Mr Miliband said the diplomatic tensions should be acknowledged, and praised Mr Zelensky’s “extraordinary leadership” throughout the four-and-a-half years since Russia’s invasion.

Mr Miliband recalled visiting Ukraine last week with Mr Zelensky to see the site where 22 civilians, including five children, were killed, and said the Ukrainian president "felt every death personally" and deserved recognition for his leadership.

He also urged serious consideration of Mr Trump’s proposal for an “energy ceasefire”, highlighting that Russia had carried out 200 attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the past week alone.

He called on Mr Trump to work with Ukraine to secure a full ceasefire targeting energy facilities, stressing that Mr Zelensky had already demonstrated his willingness to support the proposal.

Minister for Defence Procurement defends Labour's handling of security threats on British soil

Minister for Defence Procurement Luke Pollard has acknowledged that "the world we live in today seems more dangerous", while defending the Government's condemnation of Iran and management of security threats relating to an incident at RAF Fairford.

The minister this morning told GB News breakfast: "Yesterday, not only have we attributed the actions around RAF Fairford to Iran. We've also brought together dozens of our international allies with a clear condemnation of what Iranian actions are.

"We know that this is not the first time that Iran has sought to create terror on the shores of Britain. We've taken steps to sanction individuals responsible for this. We've prescribed the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, that is behind much of those activities in the UK.

"A really important step, and we're working with our allies to do even more. But this comes with, first of all, us saying to Iran, publicly and clearly, we see what you are doing.

"We do not accept what you are doing, and we will work with our allies to take steps to defend our national security. That is the right space for us to be in today. But while the cases are still ongoing around it, it's difficult for me to comment particularly on that.

"But we need to be aware that the world we're living in today is seeing more dangers, not just from Iran, but in particular from Russia as well.

"That's why we're increasing defense spending, increasing our actions to counter these malign and adverse attempts to influence and to attack us. That's the strong stance this government is taking, and we're doing so alongside our allies."

Ed Miliband says 'unity' around Ukraine is the only way to tackle the Russian threat to Britain and Europe 

Ed Miliband has urged Western leaders to unite behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, warning Russian aggression poses an “immediate and urgent” threat to Britain and Europe.

Speaking ahead of the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland where he will appear alongside European counterparts, the Foreign Secretary stressed the need for continued support for Ukraine amid renewed criticism of Mr Zelensky by US President Donald Trump.

Mr Miliband called for an energy ceasefire, under which Russia and Ukraine would stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure to protect civilians during the freezing winter months.

He said: “Last week in Kyiv, I met children who have only known winters marked by strikes, blackouts and the freezing cold. We cannot allow Russian strikes to dictate whether the Ukrainian people can keep their lights on, or turn their heating on, for another winter.

“And Russia is not stopping at Ukraine. Europe’s adversaries are testing our defences, targeting our infrastructure through cyber attacks and sabotage, and attempting to weaken our resolve for Ukraine.

“Those who seek to weaken our democracies thrive on division, so our answer must be unity. We need to back President Zelensky and support Ukraine with an energy ceasefire”

The Foreign Office said Russia had carried out 200 attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the past week alone.

'All over the place' - Shadow Defence Secretary slams 'shambolic' re-run of Brexit debate by Andy Burnham

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge has described Andy Burnham as being "all over the place" when it comes to re-running the Brexit debate, despite pledging to move past the 2016 referendum.

Speaking to GB News breakfast this morning, Mr Cartlidge said: "Only weeks ago, Andy Burnham said that he didn't want to reopen the divisions of Brexit, and here we are he's talking about whether the Russians interfered. Frankly, he's all over the place.

"I mean, I was sitting next to Kemi [Badenoch] yesterday in the Commons when he responded to the statement. He had several questions about this. The answers were conflicting, contradictory.

"He was on this podcast saying that the Russians had interfered, that there was evidence of this. He's now sort of retreating from that. I think it's all a bit shambolic, quite frankly.

"And I just wonder what the average British person would think listening to this. I think whatever people thought at the time of the referendum, surely the abiding feeling will be not that all over again because it was divisive and it was difficult, of course.

"In the end, the British people voted overwhelmingly to leave. And I think we should respect that as a democratic nation. And I think that really for Andy Burnham to have a by election in a leave voting constituency where he doesn't mention it to then suddenly put it back on the agenda, take it off. It is a bit shambolic."

'These are evil people' - Zia Yusuf doubles down on Reform's migration measures

Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf described a contingent of illegal migrants arriving in the Channel as "evil", pointing to the drastic action a Reform government would take to stop the boats.

His comments come after the party's Kent conference yesterday, where Nigel Farage outlined a proposal to entirely halt the asylum system, with Robert Jenrick calling for the deployment of the navy when addressing the Prime Minister in the Commons.

Speaking to GB News breakfast this morning, Mr Yusuf said: "This is a humanitarian mission. Almost 200 migrants have died making that journey across the channel. But we've also got to be really clear about the evil of some of these people on these boats.

"The Home Secretary herself has said the very few women who are making this journey, almost all of them have been raped. We know a convicted terrorist has made it to Britain on these boats.

"These are men who think nothing of throwing women and indeed children off these vessels. These are evil people. We have to be clear eyed about that. "

He said: "Weapons posture for our Marines will be commensurate and proportionate to the intelligence led threat assessment of the people on that vessel", and that they will be authorised to "use lethal force if they have to".

"We don't want any more people dying in the channel. But most importantly of all, we're being really clear with Nigel as Prime Minister. No one trying to get to Britain illegally will be able to make it to our shores."

Chancellor affirms 'resilience' of UK economy as IMF forecasts 1.3% growth

John Healey has pointed to the "resilience" of the UK economy in response to an upgraded growth forecast from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite warnings that inflation will remain higher for longer.

The IMF now expects the UK economy to grow by 1.3 per cent in 2026, up from its previous forecast of 1 per cent. However, it also expects households to face a sharper rise in inflation than previously anticipated, putting continued pressure on the cost of living.

Responding to the forecasts, the Chancellor said international conflicts were affecting people in the UK and around the world but argued the economy was demonstrating "resilience" in the face of these challenges.

He said: "We're forecast to be the joint second fastest-growing G7 nation in 2026 and have the lowest deficit in the G7 by 2031."

Mr Healey is due to deliver his first Budget on October 28.

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Andy Burnham has been called to release £2.5billion in frozen funds from Roman Abramovich's sale of Chelsea in 2022.

Shakhtar Donetsk's chief executive Serhii Palkin has urged the Prime Minister to release the huge sum, which is locked in an account controlled by Abramovich's company, Fordstam.

The money has been frozen following disagreements over whether the funds should be directed solely to Ukraine.

Burnham has taken on the unresolved matter from his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, as Palkin called for urgency given Ukraine's situation.

He told The Telegraph: "I believe that the Prime Minister will settle this question somehow because Ukraine really needs support now, needs financial support.

"Can you imagine what kind of support it can provide to Ukraine? We have very, very extensive and severe attacks from Russia, and we need to protect our country.

"We need to survive and this money just stays years already with nothing happening. Really, I believe that the Government of England (must) do everything to release this money for Ukraine, because obviously, like we say, we have to invest in Ukraine.

"You hear that everybody supports Ukraine, but we don't want this support to be finished just by words. We need actions.

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"It's very important to jump from words to actions. Real actions.

"And we need the support of the whole democratic world at this moment, including England, who everybody knows is the biggest supporter of Ukraine. We have almost five years of war.

"Everybody is tired, we understand this. But meanwhile, you are tired, and you can't see people dying.

"And if we just stop paying attention, what's going to happen? Catastrophe."

Shakhtar are in action at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday against AEK Athens, where they will play their Champions League "home" games.

They will wear shirts reading "Invest in Ukraine" as part of a campaign to encourage international investment in the war-torn country.

Abramovich held ownership of Chelsea for 19 years before parting with the club following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly were the buyers, with Clearlake recently assuming full control after acquiring Boehly's stake.

Shakhtar are set to play four games in west London, with future ties against Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahce and Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid.

Tickets remain on sale for their Wednesday contest against AEK Athens, with prices starting at £22.50.

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Tags: handwriting

7 points, 18 comments.

Allies of the Duke of Sussex worry that a sweeping security review launched by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood could delay any decision on whether he receives state-funded protection.

Prince Harry is thought to be weighing his options amid concerns that the review, announced on Monday in response to the killing of Reform UK justice spokesman Ann Widdecombe in July, might either stall a decision on his security arrangements or leave them entirely unchanged.

Ms Mahmood's review covers protection measures for MPs, members of the Royal Family and other prominent public figures, aiming to urgently assess whether current safeguards are sufficient for those at greatest risk.

The Duke's camp fears the broad scope of the exercise could effectively sideline his case, it is understood.

The Justice Secretary told the Commons that the review would scrutinise security from all angles, taking in physical threats, online dangers and risks arising from what she described as an increasingly "polarised" society.

Ms Mahmood also confirmed that dedicated police support would be extended to political party leaders who do not sit in the Commons, along with peers, former parliamentarians, ex-members of devolved legislatures and party spokesmen and women.

Those individuals will now be entitled to a named police contact and assistance with broader protective measures, mirroring the support already available to MPs.

Ms Mahmood said: "Those who enter public life do so to serve. Robust debate and criticism are part of the job. Threats, abuse and violence are not. An attack on any individual in public life is an attack on every one of us, and it is an attack on democracy itself. We owe it to those public servants we have tragically lost, and to everyone who believes in a fair and open country, to ensure those who serve receive the protection they deserve."

A source close to the Duke told the Telegraph: "If the review is genuinely root-and-branch and truly independent, it could provide an opportunity to shine a light on the current processes, which appear contradictory and allow far too much discretion to be exercised according to political appetite or bias, rather than being grounded in an objective assessment of threat and risk."

Prior to the Sussexes' return to Britain last month with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) granted a review of the Duke's security in July.

That assessment ultimately occurred a fortnight after Ms Widdecombe's killing and a week after the couple had departed from a previous UK visit. It was, however, carried out on the basis that the Duke was a US resident making infrequent trips home.

Fresh Government-backed risk assessments were subsequently provided following the family's relocation to Britain.

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Ravec asked the couple to supply comprehensive details of their day-to-day routines so that any shift in threat level could be properly evaluated, with the committee said to have stressed the importance of understanding the family's "pattern of life" down to the finest details of their new schedule.

The Duke's pursuit of taxpayer-funded protection has been a long-running battle. Last year, he lost a court challenge against the Home Office over security provisions for himself and his family in the UK, after his protection was downgraded when he stepped back from royal duties.

Last month, the Sussexes withdrew their children from a new school after just two days, citing security concerns.

Decisions on protective security for senior public figures, including royals, are taken by Ravec, a body comprising the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and the Royal Household, which advises an independent chairman.

GB News has contacted Prince Harry's spokesman for comment.

Labour faces accusations of a "cover-up" over a refusal to publish figures showing the number of offenders released early from prison, as another 650 inmates are due to walk free today under the Government’s expanding scheme.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed it will not disclose the exact number of prisoners released under the new rolling early release scheme, which could see an estimated 50,000 offenders a year leave jail before completing the custodial portion of their sentences.

Instead, the figures will be folded into existing statistics, making it impossible to establish the full number benefiting from the changes.

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy accused the Government of hiding the scale of the programme, demanding ministers explain why the data would not be made public.

“This looks like a cover-up by Labour to hide the true scale of their latest disastrous early release scheme,” he told the Daily Mail.

The latest releases today mark the second phase of the programme which began on October 1, when around 700 prisoners serving sentences of less than 19 months were released early across England and Wales.

From today, the scheme extends to offenders serving sentences of up to two-and-a-half years, who can now leave prison after serving a third of their sentence, rather than half.

The changes will be introduced in stages over the coming months, with the final expansion in June next year bringing prisoners serving sentences of 12 years or more into the scheme.

Certain categories, including life-sentenced prisoners and those serving extended sentences, remain excluded.

The new programme builds on an earlier Labour early-release initiative launched in September 2024, under which more than 70,000 offenders have reportedly been released so far.

Critics have raised concerns about the risk to public safety, citing cases in which offenders allegedly returned to crime shortly after leaving custody.

Michael Bogle, 38, a prolific offender and registered sex offender, was photographed leaving HMP Wandsworth on the first day of the latest release wave. He later admitted 11 shoplifting offences and was jailed again within days.

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Greater Manchester Police has also reported eight men were arrested within days of being released early, in connection with alleged offences including robbery, domestic violence and drug-related crime.

That said, there remains no overall published figure showing how many prisoners released under the schemes have gone on to commit further offences.

David Spencer, head of crime and justice at think-tank Policy Exchange, said the Government should disclose how many prisoners were being released, alongside their offending histories and any crimes committed after release.

“If the Government won't give us these sorts of details on their early release scheme it smacks of a cover-up happening in plain sight,” he said.

The programme is also placing pressure on probation services, whose staff are responsible for monitoring offenders in the community.

Union Napo is preparing for a ballot that could lead to strike action over pay and workloads, with probation officers offered a 5 per cent pay rise, which is below the 12 per cent sought by the union.

The MoJ says its offer is fair and points to a £700 million investment in probation, including plans to recruit 1,300 additional officers and introduce AI tools to reduce workloads.

An department spokesman said: "We inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse. If we had failed to act the police would have been forced to halt arrests, putting communities at untold risk.

"Our changes are part of a long-term overhaul of sentencing, ending the crisis in our prisons and keeping dangerous offenders behind bars. The Sentencing Act follows an independent review and was fully scrutinised by Parliament."

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Angela Rayner’s £15 million community recovery fund financed "anti-Right-wing propaganda" via training materials designed to counter support for Reform UK and the Conservatives, according to fresh documents.

The fund was announced in 2024 by the then deputy prime minister to help communities recover from disorder following the Southport massacre. She said it would ensure communities had the resources they needed to rebuild.

However, as revealed by The Telegraph, funding distributed through the scheme supported the Ella Baker School of Organising, which developed a training programme entitled "Defeating Narratives of Division".

Birmingham City Council provided £13,450 towards a pilot programme, while Blackpool Council contributed £9,000 for a local version - with training also delivered in Sheffield, Walsall, Solihull and Sefton, which includes Southport.

According to the documents, the programme included guidance on countering anti-immigration arguments, opposing protests and preventing working-class communities from moving towards right-wing politics.

An online booking form for a training session warned of an “impending disaster of a Reform UK government”.

Other materials described Nigel Farage as an “authoritarian populist" and encouraged activists to challenge narratives linking migration to pressure on public services and housing.

The training also advised participants to influence community leaders and organise campaigns around local issues to build support for a "more inclusive" political narrative.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Councils are not permitted to use taxpayers’ money to fund partisan issues or party-political activity.”

The department added it had powers to recover money if it was found to have been misspent.

'These are evil people' - Zia Yusuf doubles down on Reform's migration measures

Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf described a contingent of illegal migrants arriving in the Channel as "evil", pointing to the drastic action a Reform government would take to stop the boats.

His comments come after the party's Kent conference yesterday, where Nigel Farage outlined a proposal to entirely halt the asylum system, with Robert Jenrick calling for the deployment of the navy when addressing the Prime Minister in the Commons.

Speaking to GB News breakfast this morning, Mr Yusuf said: "This is a humanitarian mission. Almost 200 migrants have died making that journey across the channel. But we've also got to be really clear about the evil of some of these people on these boats.

"The Home Secretary herself has said the very few women who are making this journey, almost all of them have been raped. We know a convicted terrorist has made it to Britain on these boats.

"These are men who think nothing of throwing women and indeed children off these vessels. These are evil people. We have to be clear eyed about that. "

He said: "Weapons posture for our Marines will be commensurate and proportionate to the intelligence led threat assessment of the people on that vessel", and that they will be authorised to "use lethal force if they have to".

"We don't want any more people dying in the channel. But most importantly of all, we're being really clear with Nigel as Prime Minister. No one trying to get to Britain illegally will be able to make it to our shores."

Chancellor affirms 'resilience' of UK economy as IMF forecasts 1.3% growth

John Healey has pointed to the "resilience" of the UK economy in response to an upgraded growth forecast from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite warnings that inflation will remain higher for longer.

The IMF now expects the UK economy to grow by 1.3 per cent in 2026, up from its previous forecast of 1 per cent. However, it also expects households to face a sharper rise in inflation than previously anticipated, putting continued pressure on the cost of living.

Responding to the forecasts, the Chancellor said international conflicts were affecting people in the UK and around the world but argued the economy was demonstrating "resilience" in the face of these challenges.

He said: "We're forecast to be the joint second fastest-growing G7 nation in 2026 and have the lowest deficit in the G7 by 2031."

Mr Healey is due to deliver his first Budget on October 28.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Angela Rayner’s £15 million community recovery fund financed "anti-Right-wing propaganda" via training materials designed to counter support for Reform UK and the Conservatives, according to fresh documents.

The fund was announced in 2024 by the then deputy prime minister to help communities recover from disorder following the Southport massacre. She said it would ensure communities had the resources they needed to rebuild.

However, as revealed by The Telegraph, funding distributed through the scheme supported the Ella Baker School of Organising, which developed a training programme entitled "Defeating Narratives of Division".

Birmingham City Council provided £13,450 towards a pilot programme, while Blackpool Council contributed £9,000 for a local version - with training also delivered in Sheffield, Walsall, Solihull and Sefton, which includes Southport.

According to the documents, the programme included guidance on countering anti-immigration arguments, opposing protests and preventing working-class communities from moving towards right-wing politics.

An online booking form for a training session warned of an “impending disaster of a Reform UK government”.

Other materials described Nigel Farage as an “authoritarian populist" and encouraged activists to challenge narratives linking migration to pressure on public services and housing.

The training also advised participants to influence community leaders and organise campaigns around local issues to build support for a "more inclusive" political narrative.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Councils are not permitted to use taxpayers’ money to fund partisan issues or party-political activity.”

The department added it had powers to recover money if it was found to have been misspent.

Chancellor affirms 'resilience' of UK economy as IMF forecasts 1.3% growth

John Healey has pointed to the "resilience" of the UK economy in response to an upgraded growth forecast from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite warnings that inflation will remain higher for longer.

The IMF now expects the UK economy to grow by 1.3 per cent in 2026, up from its previous forecast of 1 per cent. However, it also expects households to face a sharper rise in inflation than previously anticipated, putting continued pressure on the cost of living.

Responding to the forecasts, the Chancellor said international conflicts were affecting people in the UK and around the world but argued the economy was demonstrating "resilience" in the face of these challenges.

He said: "We're forecast to be the joint second fastest-growing G7 nation in 2026 and have the lowest deficit in the G7 by 2031."

Mr Healey is due to deliver his first Budget on October 28.

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Authorities conducted a predawn raid on the Washington home of Somali-born Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar.

A source close to the investigation said the raid was related to alleged immigration fraud, and part of the probe concerns the lawmaker's immigration paperwork filled out by her late father when she was a child.

Minnesota Congresswoman Omar is an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, with the two having traded verbal blows over immigration policy.

She wrote on social media that the US government is being weaponised to target a political enemy of the president.

Congresswoman Omar said: "For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns.

"This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced."

Not long after, speaking to supporters in Youngstown, Ohio, President Trump quickly turned to Congresswoman Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a US citizen in 2000, settling in Minnesota, home to a large Somali community.

He said: "She comes from one of the worst countries anywhere on the planet. What a mess they have done...Somalia", which was met with chants of "deport, deport" from supporters.

In announcing the raid, a Justice Department spokesman said: "Today in the Washington, DC area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorised search warrant secured by the Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal investigation."

Homeland Security Investigations is part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, an appointee of President Trump, said last month "something's gonna happen" in the investigation into Congresswoman Omar's family's entry into the United States.

He told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson: "If we can prove that you shouldn't have been here in the first place, we'll deport you."

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Congresswoman Omar, a prominent progressive, represents a safe Democratic district, having won reelection in 2024 by 50 percentage points.

In a statement, US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other members of the party's leadership in the chamber said the raid was "deeply disturbing and raises serious questions" about the weaponisation of the federal government against President Trump's enemies.

Republicans have "relentlessly targeted" Omar, said Jeffries, joined by Representatives Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar.

President Trump's "mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family," they added, and they vowed to "deliver full accountability" for a "rogue abuse of power."

Congresswoman Omar has faced a barrage of political insults from President Trump, who has cast the Somali-American community as a threat to Minnesota in a burst of anti-Somali and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

The Democrat has called the President's focus on her an "unhealthy and creepy obsession."

Civil rights advocates have criticised President Trump's rhetoric toward minorities and immigrants, including when he previously called Somalis "garbage."

Congresswoman Omar has said she and her family have faced death threats, which she attributes to "hateful political rhetoric," especially from President Trump.

Minnesota Democrats also condemned the raid.

Minnesota Governor and former Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz wrote on social media. "Americans see this for what it is.

"President Trump is abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election."

Republican Representative Nancy Mace said: "If the fraud is proven, she should be denaturalised and removed from this country. NO ONE is above the law."

Tags: Funny

1 points, 12 comments.

Tags: gas station

958 points, 200 comments.

Donald Trump has defended a diesel deal he made with Russia as the White House hopes the negotiation will "soften" Moscow going into future peace talks.

The President announced on Friday that Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets, adding his administration temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel designed to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war in Ukraine.

However, a group of Republican and Democratic US senators called on the President to "reverse course" on the deal with Russia, adding it may violate a 2022 law designed to support Ukraine in its bid to repel Russian forces.

Republican Senator Jerry Moran said: "We should be tightening sanctions further, not undercutting them by allowing the import of Russian diesel and risking erasing our leverage, damaging our credibility with allies, and emboldening our adversaries."

Responding to criticism from figures within his own party, President Trump said: "Well, I think these are Republicans that can't really be serious.

"We can do a restriction on oil, but the rest of the world would be greatly, greatly affected if we do that."

Tensions between the US and Ukraine spiked since the announcement of the deal, with President Trump saying it is "time for Ukraine to get a new President”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the deal a "weak decision" by the US and a "gift to Putin."

President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly told the Ukrainians in a meeting in Miami that the Kremlin was not prepared to negotiate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Sources said the deal announced last week could help restart trilateral talks, with one saying the US relayed to the Ukrainians that the diesel deal could help "soften" Moscow's position in part because it "sends a signal that Trump is open to do things" with Russia.

One person familiar with the meeting said the diesel agreement is just one part of a larger conversation about how to bring Ukraine and Russia back to the negotiating table and end the war.

The meeting also touched on security guarantees for Ukraine, the person said, without elaborating further.

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President Trump has repeatedly said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin wants to reach a settlement to end the war, a claim he repeated on Saturday.

Ukrainian and European officials have expressed doubts that the Russian leader is willing to end the military campaign soon.

The envoys' comment that President Putin is not prepared to end his war suggests that President Trump's view is not uniformly held within the administration.

Some experts have said the diesel agreement will do little to lower prices in the US, with the additional amount provided to the market being less than a day's supply for the US transport sector alone.

Ukrainian officials attending the Miami meeting were sceptical of the US approach, which they see as using business deals to appease Russia, two people briefed and one person at the meeting said.

The Trump administration has previously tried to entice the Kremlin, including through sanctions-relief proposals and potential mineral deals.

Neither has substantially changed Russia’s core demands or persuaded it to accept a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.

A person close to the Kremlin said Putin will return to the table only when "he gets the remaining 11 per cent of Donbas, which he can present domestically as victory."

Ukraine has said it will not hand Russia any more territory, but that freezing the conflict along the existing battle lines could form the basis for a peace deal.

President Zelensky said Kyiv favoured a ceasefire, but both sides had to observe it, adding it was "increasingly clear" that Russia was unwilling to accept it as Moscow hit six Ukrainian energy facilities on Monday

He told Fox News that Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries were not the leading cause of rising fuel prices.

The Ukrainian President added: "Everybody understands that the prices of diesel don't depend on our attacks on diesel in Russia. Everybody understands that it depends on the blocking... the Strait of Hormuz."

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313 points, 96 comments.

19 points, 81 comments.

Kemi Badenoch is eyeing up a plot to dethrone a Reform MP as the Tories gear up for a snap election.

Since becoming leader, Ms Badenoch has repeatedly vowed to “renew” her party after its disastrous performance in the 2024 General Election.

With the fear of a snap election on the horizon, the Conservative Party has already pinpointed seats where campaigning will be prioritised the next time Britons head to the polls.

As a result, the party is now in the process of selecting a new Tory candidate for Nigel Farage’s Clacton constituency, Robert Jenrick's Newark constituency, with Aylesbury, Chelsea & Fulham, Hendon, Maidstone & Malling, North East Hampshire, Poole, Redditch, Ribble Valley, and South West Norfolk also included in the September set.

Now, the Tories have revealed their latest strategy to boost their numbers: target the so-called “Waitrose woman”.

Described as “aspirational”, an insider painted the caricature voter as “not necessarily a millionaire but above all wants a lower tax burden”.

“Our target voter wants to work hard, get on and pay less tax so they can have more money in their pocket,” they told the Mail on Sunday.

The voter could have backed Labour or the Liberal Democrats at the last election after becoming “heartily sick” of the Tories.

“There is a slightly conventional Westminster way of looking at people as only Left wing or only Right wing – we are not doing that,” they added.

GB News analysis, however, has shown that the Tories’ attempt to win back left-leaning voters has included the constituency of Reform MP Suella Braverman.

The People’s Channel has found that Hampshire is within the top three counties in the UK that the Tories’ “Waitrose Woman” strategy is honing in on.

Behind Surrey and affluent boroughs of south west and central London, Hampshire is home to 13 branches of the supermarket chain.

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The MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, Suella Braverman, defected from the Conservative Party a few weeks after Mr Jenrick joined Reform’s ranks.

Once a senior figure within Boris Johnson’s Government, Mrs Braverman has become one of Mr Farage’s top voices within the populist party - while Reform UK also gears up for a snap general election.

Just last week, Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake appeared to signal Mrs Badenoch was not ready for a snap poll.

Mr Hollinrake suggested Tory insiders would rather Andy Burnham hold off until 2029 rather than call an election for May next year.

Speaking at a More in Common fringe event at his party’s Autumn Conference, Mr Hollinrake said: "We are not where we need to be right now.

"We don't want an election right now, ideally."

But Mrs Badenoch, during her opening speech in Birmingham, appeared sure her party would win the next General Election - which, she said, could be held as early as next May.

Last week, the North West Essex MP told MPs, members and journalists: “When we win the next election, and we will, we are going to need to hit the ground running.”

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12 points, 22 comments.

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2817 points, 53 comments.

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10 points, 13 comments.

Andy Burnham has revealed details of his dealings with Manchester City's owners after facing calls to disclose his links with the scandal-hit club.

The Prime Minister pledged last week to release details of his meetings with City after saying he would be "really concerned" if the club's owners were forced to sell up.

City were found guilty of 114 financial charges on September 25 by an independent commission over allegations covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons.

Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Mr Burnham confirmed: "All of my dealings will be published this afternoon in relation to any meetings with the owners of Manchester City."

Shortly afterwards, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority released details of his interactions with the club during his nine years as mayor.

A spokesman revealed that in October 2021, Mr Burnham held a formal meeting with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government's Global Investment Summit, organised by the Department for International Trade.

Mr Burnham was also a "guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions", including Vincent Kompany's testimonial, where he was pictured meeting Mr Al Mubarak in the stands.

According to The Times, Mr Burnham attended three football matches in his capacity as mayor, as well as an Ed Sheeran concert.

The spokesman added: "Also during his time as mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of mayoral international visits.

"This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan."

The disclosure comes after Mr Burnham, who served as Mayor of Greater Manchester between 2017 and 2026, praised City's owners for "the money that they didn't just put into the Etihad [Stadium] and the campus around it but also into the city".

His remarks prompted a swift clarification from No10 and raised eyebrows given his previous appearances alongside Mr Al Mubarak at the Etihad Stadium.

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Kemi Badenoch insisted the Prime Minister "should" release details of his dealings with the club, while Reform UK's Lee Anderson said it was "important" for Mr Burnham to be open and transparent.

The fallout from City's case has also threatened to develop into a wider diplomatic headache for the Government.

Bloomberg reported that United Arab Emirates officials warned "the Premier League's actions" could "have an influence on the bilateral state relationship" with Britain.

According to The Telegraph, the UAE also threatened to pull funding for a Silicon Valley-style Oxbridge tech hub.

The Premier League initially brought 115 charges against City for alleged breaches of its financial rules.

The case led to a 42-day hearing involving 7,000 pages of witness evidence following an eight-year investigation.

Of the 115 charges, the independent commission upheld 114.

The commission found that City had breached major financial rules, including through sponsorship arrangements it described as part of a "disguised funding scheme".

It repeatedly described sponsorship arrangements as "sham" and found that the club had inflated revenue and concealed expenses to the tune of £900million over a nine-year period.

City confirmed on October 1 that they had lodged an appeal, saying their "firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors of law, principle and fact and is unsafe".

The club continues to vehemently deny wrongdoing and insists it has "irrefutable evidence" to support its case.

A separate Appeal Board will now consider City's challenge under Premier League rules.

The rules require a hearing within 12 weeks of an appeal being lodged, although the final timetable and outcome remain uncertain.

Any punishment will be dealt with separately.

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Shabana Mahmood has announced an expansion to police support for political figures who are not MPs following the murder of Ann Widdecombe.

The Home Secretary confirmed there will be an independent review of the UK's current protective system, which will be carried out by Sir Stephen Lovegrove.

Sir Stephen will look at whether the current arrangements are fit for purpose, including high-profile individuals, government ministers, MPs, and other British political figures.

The Home Secretary announced the decision to MPs in the House of Commons this afternoon.

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43 points, 29 comments.

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11 points, 27 comments.

Nigel Farage has threatened deploying sanctions on Pakistan over what he described as a migrant "invasion", amid plans to suspend Britain's asylum system for five years, including scrapping existing applications and deporting migrants awaiting decisions.

The Reform UK leader announced the proposals at a conference in Hythe, Kent, today, pledging to halt the asylum system for an entire parliamentary term if the party form a government.

With much of the influx coming from Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Reform leader threatened sanctions against countries who failed to agree to take back deportees, such as tariffs, visa bans and flight bans.

Under the plans, all active applications would be declared void, while legal refugee routes, asylum tribunals and existing resettlement schemes would be abolished.

The party said it would remove people with pending asylum and humanitarian protection appeals rather than process their cases.

Around 90,000 appeals are currently awaiting consideration, according to Home Office figures cited in the proposals.

Mr Farage would also immediately close resettlement programmes which Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently said would reopen.

Around a quarter of arrivals under the schemes were expected to be Palestinians, as well as Afghan women and girls.

The party argues there is “no mandate” for the programmes, and says those who have already arrived through them would also face deportation.

In addition, refugees granted asylum within the previous five years would have their cases reviewed by the Home Office.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Farage said: “Can we please stop calling this a small boats crisis? It is not a small boats crisis. Have a look at this behind me. This is a replica size of the boat carrying 230 people that recently crossed the English Channel.

“It is not a small boats crisis, and it doesn’t matter how much money we give to France.”

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Mr Farage insisted his 2020 description of small boat crossings as an “invasion” was justified, arguing the number of people arriving across the Channel has vindicated his warning.

He said: “It was on that day when on YouTube I said that this was going to be the beginning of an invasion, but you might as well put a sign on the White Cliffs of Dover saying ‘everybody welcome’.

“I remember the howls of indignation with which my comments were met - that somehow I’d lost touch with reality. I was desperately seeking a new political life now that Brexit was done, and of course much, much abuse.

“Well, now that over 200,000 have come, I can stand here and say I was right. I was well ahead of the rest of the pack.”

Explaining the party’s current position, Mr Farage said: “What Zia (Yusuf) and I are saying today is that we just want this to be a normal country. That’s all.

“Nothing radical or crazy. We want to get back to being a normal country, a country that puts national security at the top of the agenda, a country that does everything it can to protect its own citizens, and a country that detains and deports people that come illegally, as virtually every other country in the world does, and indeed, as we used to do.”

The Reform UK leader confirmed he has not sought advice from Donald Trump on how to implement mass deportations.

Asked by GB News at the Kent conference whether he had approached the US president for guidance, Mr Farage replied: “No is the answer to that.”

However, he praised the Trump administration’s approach to immigration control, saying: “We can disagree with many things the US president has said in recent times, but one thing he has done is control immigration.”

He claimed that six million undocumented migrants crossed the US southern border under Joe Biden, adding that crossings had now fallen to virtually zero each month.

Mr Farage also defended the administration’s handling of mass deportations, acknowledging there had been “one or two examples” highlighted by the press, but arguing that, overall, the approach had been “rather clever”.

Further clarifying the justification for the move, party home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf argued that Britain could not be a “refuge for the world” while “its own people die waiting for an ambulance”.

“For too long, the British people have been told to wait forever, wait for the ambulance, wait for the operation, wait for a home, wait in their own country, while foreign nationals jump the queue,” he said, "the waiting ends with us".

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10 points, 21 comments.

Andy Burnham has launched an investigation after GB news exposed a campaign of harassment by Argentinians in the Falkland islands.

Islanders earlier told GB News of a sustained campaign of harassment by Argentinian counterparts, with No10 probed on whether they were going to lodge a diplomatic complaint.

A Downing Street spokesman this afternoon said: "Looking into these reports, any intimidation is unacceptable. The Falkland Islands are British, and support for the islanders right to self-determination is unwavering."

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Millions of people aged 40 and over could pay an average of £31 a month towards social care under a new proposal designed to protect families from large bills later in life.

Taxpayers would pay an additional 1p for every £1 of taxable income. In return, they would build up a discount on their future personal care costs.

The discount would increase for every year someone remained in the scheme. After contributing for 25 years, they would no longer have to pay towards their personal care.

People would be enrolled automatically but could opt out at any time.

The proposal has been developed by former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb, who is now a partner at consultancy Lane Clark and Peacock.

Around 23 million people could be enrolled, including 14.3 million working-age taxpayers and 8.6 million pensioners.

LCP estimates that the scheme could raise approximately £3.5billion a year, even after accounting for millions of people choosing to opt out. Government officials are reportedly considering the plans.

The system would work in a similar way to workplace pension automatic enrolment, which has brought more than 11 million people into pension saving since 2012.

Sir Steve said the approach would allow people to share the risk of facing very high care bills, rather than leaving individuals to cover the entire cost themselves.

The Government estimates that one in seven people aged 65 and over will face care costs exceeding £100,000. Some people are forced to use most of their savings or sell their homes to pay for support.

Money raised through the proposed levy could also fund home adaptations, additional help for unpaid carers and improved access to treatment.

LCP argued that the current social care system was designed for the 1940s and is not equipped for a future in which more people are expected to live with frailty in later life.

Because people would be allowed to opt out, the consultancy said the proposal would not break Labour's manifesto promise not to increase income tax.

The plans come as Prime Minister Andy Burnham considers how to fund a new National Care Service in England.

Mr Burnham has proposed changing the state pension triple lock from April 2030. The revised system would guarantee annual increases of at least inflation or 2.5 per cent, with larger rises allowed when needed to maintain the pension's value compared with average earnings.

The Government hopes the change will release money for social care, although economists have warned that it may produce little or no savings.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has also warned that a major expansion of social care would require higher taxes or cuts to other public services.

Sir Steve's proposal is intended to provide the Government with another way to raise money while giving people greater protection from potentially unaffordable care bills.

He added: "At present, people are at risk of having their life savings wiped out by 'catastrophic' care costs, and have no way of pooling this risk with other people.

"This scheme, with an opt-out for those who don't want it, provides an affordable and efficient way for people to protect their savings."

Dr Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, head of LCP Health and co-author of the report, said: "Social care is one of the defining societal challenges of our time, but it is also an opportunity to do things differently."

Dr Pearson-Stuttard argued the framework could generate early investment in keeping people healthier and independent for longer, easing pressure on public services.

Andy Burnham has been contradicted by his own foreign minister after the Prime Minister claimed Russia had influenced the Brexit referendum.

The Labour leader told the Rest Is Politics podcast Russia "clearly" meddled in the 2016 vote, as he indicated an interest in pushing to rejoin the European Union, or at least build closer ties.

He said as he entered No10 in the summer, he asked if Moscow had interfered in the 2016 vote on whether to leave the EU and was given "the clear answer that yes there was".

However, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty this morning told LBC: “We know what the result was. I don’t think they’ve succeeded in their efforts.

“I don’t think they’ve succeeded in their efforts to undermine our elections.”

He added: “The security minister’s been very clear that they’ve attempted but not succeeded, in his evidence that he gave previously on this.

“But the fact is that they are attempting to interfere, and we all need to be alert to that and respond accordingly.”

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Millions of people aged 40 and over could pay an average of £31 a month towards social care under a new proposal designed to protect families from large bills later in life.

Taxpayers would pay an additional 1p for every £1 of taxable income. In return, they would build up a discount on their future personal care costs.

The discount would increase for every year someone remained in the scheme. After contributing for 25 years, they would no longer have to pay towards their personal care.

People would be enrolled automatically but could opt out at any time.

The proposal has been developed by former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb, who is now a partner at consultancy Lane Clark and Peacock.

Around 23 million people could be enrolled, including 14.3 million working-age taxpayers and 8.6 million pensioners.

LCP estimates that the scheme could raise approximately £3.5billion a year, even after accounting for millions of people choosing to opt out. Government officials are reportedly considering the plans.

The system would work in a similar way to workplace pension automatic enrolment, which has brought more than 11 million people into pension saving since 2012.

Sir Steve said the approach would allow people to share the risk of facing very high care bills, rather than leaving individuals to cover the entire cost themselves.

The Government estimates that one in seven people aged 65 and over will face care costs exceeding £100,000. Some people are forced to use most of their savings or sell their homes to pay for support.

Money raised through the proposed levy could also fund home adaptations, additional help for unpaid carers and improved access to treatment.

LCP argued that the current social care system was designed for the 1940s and is not equipped for a future in which more people are expected to live with frailty in later life.

Because people would be allowed to opt out, the consultancy said the proposal would not break Labour's manifesto promise not to increase income tax.

The plans come as Prime Minister Andy Burnham considers how to fund a new National Care Service in England.

Mr Burnham has proposed changing the state pension triple lock from April 2030. The revised system would guarantee annual increases of at least inflation or 2.5 per cent, with larger rises allowed when needed to maintain the pension's value compared with average earnings.

The Government hopes the change will release money for social care, although economists have warned that it may produce little or no savings.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has also warned that a major expansion of social care would require higher taxes or cuts to other public services.

Sir Steve's proposal is intended to provide the Government with another way to raise money while giving people greater protection from potentially unaffordable care bills.

He added: "At present, people are at risk of having their life savings wiped out by 'catastrophic' care costs, and have no way of pooling this risk with other people.

"This scheme, with an opt-out for those who don't want it, provides an affordable and efficient way for people to protect their savings."

Dr Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, head of LCP Health and co-author of the report, said: "Social care is one of the defining societal challenges of our time, but it is also an opportunity to do things differently."

Dr Pearson-Stuttard argued the framework could generate early investment in keeping people healthier and independent for longer, easing pressure on public services.

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419 points, 42 comments.

The AA has become the latest organisation to call on the Chancellor to extend the existing fuel duty cut and expand it in response to high fuel prices.

John Healey will deliver his first Budget as Chancellor on October 28, with millions of drivers eagerly waiting to hear whether fuel duty changes will be coming.

Fuel prices have risen to record levels in recent months as a result of the war between the United States and Iran, sending oil costs soaring.

Diesel hit an all-time peak of 200.01p per litre earlier this month, with an average 55-litre car costing £110 to fill.

While petrol prices have not reached all-time highs, drivers are still facing high costs when visiting the pumps up and down the country.

The AA is now calling on Chancellor John Healey to extend the 5p fuel duty cut in the Budget, and even cut it by a further 5p per litre.

It warned that reversing the existing reduction would hammer drivers at a time when pump prices have already dominated finances.

The 5p per litre fuel duty cut was introduced in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which prompted the last peak in petrol and diesel prices.

The 5p cut has been extended every year since, across both Conservative and Labour governments, although this could now be in jeopardy.

Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced earlier this year that the Government would extend the fuel duty cut until the end of 2026.

However, it is set to rise by 3p on January 1, 2027, while the full 5p cut will be axed by March in a further blow to drivers.

The AA highlighted that an extra 5p cut would be worth around 6p per litre at the pump if it is to be passed on in full.

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This would represent savings of around £3.30 when filling a standard 55-litre tank, easing the burden of the cost of living crisis on motorists.

Previous analysis from the AA found that more than 2,500 filling stations around the UK were already charging £2 per litre or more for diesel at the start of October.

AA President Edmund King said: "Drivers need the Chancellor to put the brakes on rising fuel costs.

"The first step must be keeping the existing 5p fuel duty cut, but with prices rising, we believe the Chancellor should go further and cut another 5p.

"Fuel prices aren't just an issue for motorists. Higher prices increase the cost of moving goods, making deliveries and running businesses, with those costs ultimately finding their way into household bills.

"As underlying fuel prices rise, the Treasury also receives more VAT. We believe the Chancellor should take that additional revenue into account and use the Budget to give drivers and businesses some breathing space."

A Government spokesperson said that any decision on fuel duty, or any other taxes, would be announced in the Budget.

Chancellor John Healey faces a £35billion shortfall in the public finances ahead of his first Budget, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The economic think tank warned that the Government may have to raise taxes, cut welfare spending or scale back some of its promises to balance the books.

Rising inflation has increased the cost of running public services, while the Government also wants to spend more on defence, council housing and a new national care service.

Helen Miller, director of the IFS, said the Chancellor could not deliver a quiet Budget without making difficult decisions.

She said: "A 'steady-as-she-goes' Budget is not an option available to the Chancellor."

Ms Miller warned that if the Government plans to increase spending by tens of billions of pounds, it may also need to raise a similar amount through taxes.

The Government has proposed increasing defence spending to three per cent of national income. However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has rejected suggestions that welfare should be cut to help fund the increase.

Speaking in the Commons last month, Mr Burnham said supporting national security "can't come at the expense of social security".

He also told The Rest Is Politics podcast that it would be a mistake to treat defence and welfare as competing priorities.

Mr Burnham said: "I think that is a mistake to put those two as one can be ransacked to pay for the other because we will not be in a resilient position if we have a situation where millions of young people are not in education, employment or training without any hope.

"That doesn't, in my view, leave us in a position where we're ready to face the future."

However, Mr Healey has taken a firmer position on welfare spending. He has described reducing the benefits bill as a "moral duty" and argued that allowing it to continue rising is "not progressive".

The Chancellor's options are further limited by Labour's manifesto promise not to increase income tax, National Insurance, VAT or corporation tax.

The Government has already introduced substantial tax increases. Rachel Reeves, Mr Healey's predecessor, raised taxes on households and businesses by a combined £50billion during her time as chancellor.

According to the IFS, raising another £35billion a year would be roughly equivalent to adding three percentage points to every income tax rate or increasing VAT by three percentage points.

The think tank warned that leaving overall spending unchanged would still result in effective cuts because inflation has reduced how much existing budgets can buy.

The IFS said: "A choice to leave spending totals unchanged would implicitly be a choice to cut some budgets and allow the quality and/or quantity of some public services to fall."

It added that the Chancellor must now decide how to divide the pressure between higher taxes, lower spending and declining public services.

Over the weekend, the Government also closed the door on extending the so-called "mansion tax" to properties worth £1.5million and abandoned a proposed levy on warehouses after opposition from Tesco and John Lewis.

Those decisions have left ministers under growing pressure to target wealth, particularly through capital gains tax. But Ms Miller cautioned that narrowing the tax base carries its own dangers.

"The risk of having taken the big taxes off the table is that you end up fiddling with smaller, more damaging taxes and therefore doing more damage than you would need to do," she said.

Ahead of his trip to Bangkok this week for the International Monetary Fund's annual meeting, Mr Healey pledged to show "fiscal discipline" in his October 28 Budget, signalling he would not resort to higher borrowing to fill the funding gap. "This means breathing space for today and hope for the future," he said.

Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, warned last week that Britain could face a repeat of the Liz Truss mini-Budget crisis if the Government failed to convince financial markets that its fiscal plans were sound.

Mr Bailey did not refer directly to the Budget, but his comments provoked anger within Government. Sources told The Times that it was not the governor's role to "play politics".

Borrowing costs have climbed sharply in recent weeks amid concerns over government spending and a worldwide spike in inflation driven by the Iran war.

Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith called on Labour to rein in welfare rather than impose further tax rises.

"Higher borrowing costs and Andy Burnham's unfunded spending commitments have swallowed up his headroom and created upward inflationary pressure," he said.

"Families cannot afford to be lumbered with even more tax rises at this Budget. Labour should cut welfare instead of dumping on working people as they have already done."

The White House will allow the UK to safety test cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) models in a sudden U-turn.

Washington, last month, asked leading AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic to stop sharing latest models with the UK's AI Security Institute (AISI) before release in a blow to Andy Burnham's goal of pushing regulation.

Mr Trump told the UN General Assembly he wanted to "encourage" the development of AI - which he calls "super intelligence" - and "not rein it in".

But after lobbying from Kanishka Narayan, the AI minister, the AISI will now receive access to pre-release models from Anthropic, Google Deepmind and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, according to The Telegraph.

Mr Narayan is set to warn that tech leaders cannot be left to regulate themselves in a speech later on Monday.

He will announce changes to Labour's Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to strengthen requirements for companies working on national security projects to report AI breaches to the Government.

Ministers also plan to increase the use of so-called Frontier AI - the latest and most advanced models - to protect Whitehall from cyber attacks.

A Government source indicated the speech would be a "genuinely significant intervention" over the risk of AI as reports of breaches and warnings from the tech industry that the technology could "cause a billion deaths".

The UK has increasingly positioned itself as a global leader on AI regulation, largely thanks to the AISI, established under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023.

Mr Burnham said during his UN speech AI would be "at the heart of the UK’s G20 Presidency next year".

But he has been accused of sidelining his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer's project to provide power to data centres - the AI Energy Council.

Members of the group, chaired by the Energy and Technology Secretaries and attended by industry heavyweights said it was intended to forecast electricity demand from AI data centres and to boost supplies.

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It last met in April.

Attendees have now claimed they do not expect the project to continue and have not been informed of future meetings.

A Government spokesman told The Telegraph the next meeting would be announced in the future.

Leading AI scholar, Dr Mustansar Ghazanfar from the University of East London, told GB News the meetings were "quite irregular last year as well".

"I think in the previous year, the two meetings - the gap was five months - and this time is six months," he said.

Dr Ghazanfar said questions had to be raised over where the electricity to power data centres would come from.

He warned that the "projected electricity is not the same as the projected need" and "[electricity] prices might go up sharply".

Last month, Anthropic released Claude Mythos 5.1, which it describes as the most advanced model in life sciences and cyber security, without pre-screening from AISI, raising concerns from national security officials, The Financial Times previously reported.

Nigel Farage is set to unveil plans to suspend Britain's asylum system for five years if Reform UK forms the next government, including scrapping existing applications and deporting migrants awaiting decisions.

The Reform UK leader is expected to announce the proposals today, pledging to halt the asylum system for an entire parliamentary term.

Under the plans, all active applications would be declared void, while legal refugee routes, asylum tribunals and existing resettlement schemes would be abolished.

The party says it would remove people with pending asylum and humanitarian protection appeals rather than process their cases. Around 90,000 appeals are currently awaiting consideration, according to Home Office figures cited in the proposals.

Mr Farage would also immediately close resettlement programmes which Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently said would reopen. Around a quarter of arrivals under the schemes were expected to be Palestinians, as well as Afghan women and girls.

The party argues there is “no mandate” for the programmes and says those who have already arrived through them would also face deportation.

In addition, refugees granted asylum within the previous five years would have their cases reviewed by the Home Office.

Mr Farage previously said the UK faced a “national security emergency”, arguing the state's first duty was to protect citizens.

“We cannot accept more asylum seekers while we still have no idea how many people are in the country illegally and the threat they pose,” he said.

Moreover, Reform UK would promise to impose tariffs to pressure other countries into accepting the return of foreigners.

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Andy Burnham to fight for new EU deal in Commons

Andy Burnham will tell MPs it would be a “dereliction of duty” not to seek a new deal with the European Union.

In a Commons address later today, the Prime Minister is expected to reiterate his argument from the Labour Party conference Brexit has done “more harm than good”.

He will call on all parties to support the Government’s approach in seeking a closer relationship with the EU, arguing such a move could help control immigration and boost growth.

A No10 source said: “Andy understands why some politicians don’t want to face up to the reality that Brexit has not delivered what they once promised.

“But it is time for a different conversation about what our long-term relationship should be. Sticking with the status quo and not working relentlessly to secure a good deal that boosts growth would be a major dereliction of duty.”

At the Labour conference in Liverpool last month, Mr Burnham said he would set out the “options” for Britain’s long-term relationship with Europe around the time of a UK-EU summit planned for the end of the year.

He has suggested those options could include rejoining the bloc.

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30 points, 21 comments.

Plans to livestream the execution of a Fort Hood terrorist have been slammed as "abhorrent" by Andy Burnham.

Nidal Malik Hasan, now 56, had been sitting on death row for over 13 years after he horrifically killed 12 US servicemen, one civilian, and injured more than 30 others in 2009.

The Pentagon confirmed he would be executed by firing squad on December 3 at the Killeen, Texas base he committed his vile acts.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth then announced it would be livestreamed, saying: "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it."

The Prime Minister, told The Rest is Politics - hosted by Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell - that he would "never support" public execution.

"It's something that I can’t say I ever want to see anywhere in the world, Alastair," he told the podcast.

"It's something that I find quite abhorrent in many ways.

"But, you know, I only want to speak for what we will do and why we will do it."

JD Vance has already cast doubt that a livestream would happen, but if it does, the Vice President said he was not going to watch it.

Mr Vance, a Catholic convert who has written extensively about his faith, dismissed questions over how his religion coloured the issue of the death penalty.

He said: "Whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope the people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people."

Democratic strategist Mally Smith condemned the livestreaming as "morally beneath the United States".

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"You see that in the other countries that broadcast executions - there are only two other countries that do: Iran and Afghanistan. And if you are the company you keep, that's pretty crappy company to be with," he told GB News.

But former Marco Rubio Chief of Staff Matt Terrill told GB News the US has already had recent "public executions".

He said: "We had a wide open border on President Biden. That was beneath this country. Yeah, we've had public executions in this country.

"We had people who came here under President Biden illegally and killed individuals in our country."

Mr Terrill insisted the Secretary of War and Donald Trump were implementing a deterrence to those who commit heinous crimes and "we may do that in a public fashion".

Executions have been held privately in the US for around nine decades.

The UK, meanwhile, suspended the death penalty in 1965.

Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson previously said she found the plans "disturbing" and that she was "proud that our country did away with the death penalty a very, very long time ago".

The equalities minister told the BBC: "The view of the Government is always that we’re repulsed to the death penalty, my personal view is that I’m opposed to the death penalty.

"And I find that rather disturbing is my honest reaction."

She added: "It's a matter for the US government.

"They are a close ally, does that mean that we support everything the US government does? No, but that’s not for us to involve ourselves in what are ultimately questions of US domestic policy."

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150 points, 77 comments.

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3 points, 9 comments.

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20 points, 29 comments.

Andy Burnham has offered "complete solidarity" with Ukraine as he backed Donald Trump's claims of an energy ceasefire.

The President on Sunday claimed to have negotiated an immediate energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the announcement as "good news" but said he was unaware of the details.

Moscow did not publicly comment on the development but projectiles rained down on a power plant in Kyiv and energy facilities in Kharkiv just hours after the announcement.

Mr Burnham said: "Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure over the weekend.

"This is an attack on Ukrainian civilians, plunging them into cold and darkness.

"The UK strongly supports President Trump's call today for a sustained energy ceasefire to start now.

"I discussed this with Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday: Ukraine is ready if Russia stops its attacks. This is the best route to get energy and fuel back into world markets."

The Prime Minister had reiterated his "complete solidarity" with the Ukrainian leader in a call on Saturday and said he plans to meet him in person in the coming days.

French President Emmanuel Macron, EU Chief Ursula Von der Leyen, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have all also backed the proposed ceasefire.

Mr Trump 's calls for an energy ceasefire followed the announcement of a shock diesel deal with Vladimir Putin.

Under the deal, Moscow would supply "immediately more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel" as prices hit record levels.

The Ukrainian President condemned the deal as a "weak decision" - Mr Trump hit back by saying it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president".

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Mr Zelensky told ABC News he would be willing to hold elections in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire.

Then, on Sunday, the Commander-in-Chief posted on social media: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!"

No further details were given.

Diesel and gasoline prices have sharply risen during Mr Trump's second term and may affect his party in the upcoming midterm elections.

Seven senators, including three Democrats and four Republicans, have condemned the deal as it "runs directly counter" to a law banning Russian energy imports.

They said: "Congress was clear: the US should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our Nato Allies."

Republican Senator Thom Thillis told US outlet NBC News the deal would put American lives at risk.

On Sunday, Wes Streeting told GB News the Government did not support Mr Trump's diesel deal, and said it was Britain's responsibility to "try and bring our friends back together" during the diplomatic spat.

He added: "That's the leadership you can expect from Andy Burnham, from Ed Miliband and I as we seek to do that."

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said Mr Trump was "wrong to ease sanctions on Russian diesel, wrong to blame President Zelensky for prolonging Putin’s war and wrong to undermine a nation fighting for its right to exist".

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3 points, 9 comments.

Andy Burnham has claimed Russia "clearly" meddled in the 2016 Brexit referendum in an indication he may push to rejoin the EU.

The Prime Minister said as he entered No10 in the summer he asked if Moscow had interfered in the 2016 vote on whether to leave the EU and was given "the clear answer that yes there was".

He added that it was important to put the information on the record so that voters in Germany and France "understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies".

Mr Burnham visited German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin last week and pledged to "bring the UK closer to Europe".

And after his Labour conference speech, he told GB News he could not "leave Britain out" of discussions around the UK's future relationship with the bloc and insisted on the need to consider all options.

Now, speaking to Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell on the Rest is Politics podcast, he said: "I asked the question coming to Downing Street, well was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? I've had the clear answer that yes, there was.

"These things are important now to put clearly on the record and I believe help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia.

"I think we've been too much on the back-foot on that actually and we haven't informed people sufficiently about the extent to which people are seeking to disrupt the political process from overseas."

Mr Burnham has not ruled out a future manifesto pledge to rejoin the bloc, and has refused to say if another referendum would be needed.

He also claimed there was "certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German politics" after his conversation with Mr Merz.

Shadow Foreign Minister Wendy Morton said: "The threats from hostile nations come in different shapes and sizes, and attempts to interfere in our elections are particularly concerning.

"However, the result of the Brexit referendum is legitimate and its authenticity should not be questioned.

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"The public made their decision and Andy Burnham's attempts to turn back the clock to 2016 run against the best interests of our country.

"Measures to protect our democracy are welcome but they must not favour one side or the other."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said that while he was not going to agree with Mr Burnham on everything, his statement "needed to be said by a Prime Minister"

He said: "After the Conservatives suppressed the truth for years, this took courage.

"We must do far more to protect our democracy from attack by the Kremlin and other hostile states, before it is too late."

This is the first time the Prime Minister has directly claimed Russian interference since he took to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) lectern and announced the "National Centre for Information Defence" to improve Britain's "community cohesion".

Addressing the multinational assembly, he claimed Russia had launched an "industrial-scale assault by hostile actors on the information environment".

Critics of the plan, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, accused Mr Burnham of launching a "Labour Ministry of Truth" with an "Orwellian-style message" as they drew comparisons to dystopian novel 1984.

Natural England must undergo radical reform to stop it obstructing housebuilding and alienating farmers, the chairman of an influential Commons committee has warned.

Alistair Carmichael accused the Government's environmental watchdog of being too dogmatic, standing in the way of economic growth and ignoring rural communities.

The embattled green watchdog already faces abolition under new Conservative plans. Now, the chairman of an influential Commons committee is demanding radical reform, warning the organisation has become dogmatic and unaccountable.

The row follows controversies over costly wildlife protection measures, including a £95million structure to protect bats from HS2 trains and an underwater "fish disco" - an acoustic fish deterrent - at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

Last week Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch vowed to scrap Natural England as a separate body, transferring its functions to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

"When we are in charge, no-one from Natural England will turn up with a clipboard to count all the bats and newts," Mrs Badenoch told the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Now Alistair Carmichael, chairman of the powerful Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, is demanding sweeping changes to the watchdog.

"Natural England needs radical reform. Agencies like this should not work without accountability," he told GB News.

"The culture of Natural England is obstructive to development as well. They can be very dogmatic and it's not healthy."

He warned its approach was at odds with ministers' ambitions to boost housebuilding and economic growth.

"This is a time when the Government says it is supposed to be on a mission for growth," he said.

Mr Carmichael also accused the organisation of failing to listen to farmers who have spent generations managing the countryside.

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"The farmers might not have the degrees, the masters, the PhDs and the rest," he said. "But they know about the countryside.

"So many people tell me they feel unheard by Natural England; they feel ignored when they raise concerns and they are required to do things that don't make sense to them."

His intervention comes as Natural England undergoes a change of leadership.

Career civil servant Neil Hornby has taken over as chief executive following the retirement of Marian Spain. Chairman Tony Juniper, a former Friends of the Earth director, reaches the end of his current term in April 2027.

"The new team coming in at the top must reset the way Natural England engages with the rural community," Mr Carmichael said.

One of the biggest controversies involves environmental rules blamed for holding up thousands of new homes.

Under so-called "nutrient neutrality" rules, developers in affected areas must prove new housing will not increase pollution in protected rivers and waterways.

They can do this by buying credits to fund wetlands or changes to farming practices that offset pollution from sewage.

But developers complain the system adds thousands of pounds to housing costs and delays construction.

Natural England itself sells nutrient credits, prompting accusations of a conflict of interest because it advises on the environmental requirements while also offering developers a way to meet them.

Its Government-funded scheme was launched in 2022 with an ambition to help unlock 40,000 homes.

But figures reported in December 2025 showed £28million had been spent while certificates had been issued for just 2,999 homes - fewer than one in 13 of the original target.

Henri Willmott, who leads environmental projects at Biocore Agri, a British organic fertiliser manufacturer, accused Natural England of marking its own homework.

His company is challenging the watchdog over plans to let farmers earn pollution-offset credits by switching from chemical fertilisers rather than taking land out of production.

He said: "You wouldn't let the Financial Conduct Authority run a hedge fund or the Civil Aviation Authority run an airline so why is an environmental regulator participating commercially in the nature markets it oversees?"

Biocore Agri claims Natural England initially accepted its proposed scheme before reversing its position over how pollution savings would be calculated.

"They create the problem and they sell the solution," Mr Willmott said.

"Natural England are acting as judge, jury and executioner.

"They decide who can enter the market, set market standards whilst milking their own rules as a revenue stream. That is the conflict of interest."

The Government has already moved to reduce planning bureaucracy.

On October 1, ministers announced reforms after Government figures suggested nearly a third of the 22,500 planning consultations referred to Natural England annually were unnecessary.

The watchdog has also come under fire over expensive measures to protect wildlife on major infrastructure projects.

At Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, developer EDF says it is spending more than £700million on three fish protection systems.

These include an underwater "fish disco" using sound to scare fish away from the plant's cooling-water pipes.

On high-speed train development, HS2, Natural England gave advice and licensed a £95million structure near Sheephouse Wood in Buckinghamshire to protect rare Bechstein's bats from passing trains.

Farmers have also clashed with the organisation over restrictions on grazing and controlled heather burning.

On Dartmoor, Natural England advice to reduce grazing sparked fears of a mass cull of the moor's famous ponies. Ministers intervened after protests and ruled that ponies would no longer count towards grazing limits in new environmental agreements.

And in the north of England, Moorland managers are warning restrictions on heather burning are increasing wildfire risks by allowing dry vegetation to accumulate. Mr Carmichael said increasingly restrictive rules on rural land could also threaten Britain's food security.

"Natural England needs to have a sense of stewardship that farmers do, which runs deep into the farming psyche," he said.

"Food security is national security and we need to do more to protect and grow food and too often Natural England is standing in the way of this."

Natural England maintains protecting wildlife, supporting farming and enabling development should go hand in hand. It says its statutory duties require it to safeguard vulnerable habitats while helping developers and land managers find practical solutions.

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0 points, 1 comments.

A Falklands war veteran has received backlash after saying he would "shoot" the dinghies smuggling illegal migrants across the English Channel.

Major-General Julian Thompson, 92, is a former commander of 3 Commando Brigade who led British ground forces during the Falklands War.

His military record is formidable. Enlisting in the Royal Marines in 1952, he served for over three decades and authored numerous works on military history following his retirement.

He commanded the ground element of Operation Sutton - the assault at San Carlos Water in May 1982 - the landings that became pivotal in recapturing the Falkland Islands.

But he has caused an online stir following his provocative statements regarding the ongoing migrant crisis in the Channel.

"I would shoot them," Maj Gen Thompson declared in a documentary on mass immigration produced by journalist Steven Edginton for his YouTube channel, broadcast this weekend.

The retired Royal Marine, spoke bluntly about the thousands of migrants reaching British shores each month.

"We could stop them tomorrow if we really had the guts. I'd shoot them, sorry, but I would," he said.

His remarks drew swift condemnation from both the Home Office and the Shadow Home Secretary.

When contacted regarding his remarks, Maj Gen Thompson offered a clarification: the gunfire ought to be directed at the boats themselves rather than those aboard them.

Far from retreating from his stance, the veteran commander showed no concern about any potential backlash, telling the Mail on Sunday: "As long as they don't come around here, I don't mind what they do."

He added: "They come over here and rape our girls. One machine-gun blast is all it would take... then they would get the message. I just want them to bugger off."

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"If they [the Government] don't stop them, then there will be a revolution. Our leaders are just wet."

In the same documentary, Maj Gen Thompson expressed a deeply pessimistic view of the nation's trajectory.

"It's not Britain any more, it's a sort of funny conglomeration of people, and in a wet country that allows itself to be pushed around all over the place," he remarked, adding: "I'm glad I won't see it, I'll be dead."

He also took aim at the Islamic faith held by many of those making the crossing, describing it as "a flawed religion, in that women are totally out. They can be treated like chattels, and children the same."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp was unequivocal in his response: "Opening fire on migrant boats would be completely wrong. I understand people's anger at migrant crossings but we cannot shoot at people. There is another way to end this."

Mr Philp argued that if France refuses to intercept vessels close to shore, Britain should remove every illegal arrival from the country within seven days of their landing.

Achieving this, he maintained, would require withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights - a step included in the Conservative Party's borders strategy but one he accused the Labour Government of being too feeble to take.

"Instead of being deported on arrival, illegal immigrants get put up in hotels and flats. This has to end," he said.

A Home Office spokesman responded firmly, stating: "This Government is bearing down on dangerous and illegal crossings. Anyone who seeks to take the law into their own hands is putting lives at risk and will face serious criminal consequences."

The latest figures on Channel crossings paint a mixed picture. Over 20,000 migrants have reached Britain by small boat so far in 2026, representing a 40 per cent reduction compared with the equivalent period last year.

A staggering 1,739 people made the 21-mile journey to reach British borders between October 1 and October 7 - equivalent to one every six minutes.

Yet the danger of each individual crossing appears to have intensified.

The average number of people crammed aboard each vessel so far this month has increased to 76, bringing this year's total of crossings to 20,935.

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Russia has breached the conditions of a ceasefire announced by President Trump by bombing a power plant in Ukraine.

Earlier today, the President claimed both parties had agreed not to attack one another’s energy infrastructure.

He warned Russia and Ukraine in a statement posted to Truth Social: “Do not break it!”

However, within a few hours, projectiles struck a thermal power plant in Kharkiv, according to President Zelensky.

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9 points, 8 comments.

Donald Trump has threatened to embroil the United States in another international conflict after Houthi terrorists struck a Saudi Arabian airport, leaving at least 13 people dead.

The rebel group has ramped up attacks on the kingdom in recent days, including five separate strikes at King Khalid International Airport and another at Abha International Airport.

President Trump waded into the debate today, revealing he "may" aid Saudi Arabia in their retaliation against the terror group.

"We’re going to look at it," he told reporters. "We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly."

He described the strikes as a "terrible thing" and "not acceptable".

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, said the US "strongly condemns" the Houthi strikes and confirmed that one American had been killed.

"These reprehensible attacks demonstrate a blatant disregard for innocent civilian life," he said. "They must stop now.

"We stand with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and extend our condolences to the victims and their families."

Yesterday's horror marked Saudi Arabia's deadliest terror attack in a decade, and was followed up today with another strike when an "unknown projectile" hit a passenger hall, resulting in a fire.

Saudi's civil aviation authority this afternoon confirmed the latest attack, saying it resulted in "some injuries," adding: "Damage assessments and safety inspections of airport facilities are underway."

Houthi took responsibility for the attacks, which they claim were a response to the "brutal Saudi aggression against our country and our people".

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The terrorist group said Saudi Arabia has launched 124 airstrikes in 24 hours at the Yemeni territory they control.

They added: "We reiterate our warning to all international companies, experts, employees, workers, and travellers from all over the world to not operate flights to Saudi airports, as they are unsafe, except for the airports and airspace of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina."

Saturday's strikes left 13 dead and more than 300 injured, and was the deadliest attack in a Gulf Arab country since the Iran conflict began.

The Saudi civil aviation authority said the dead included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.

Hospitals were flooded with wounded brought by helicopter and at least six ambulances, according to reports in The New York Times.

Repeated attacks have forced the kingdom to cancel major international events, while hundreds of flights have been delayed or cancelled, and schools have been moved to online learning over safety concerns.

UK nationals have been told to avoid the airport in a warning issued by the Foreign Office.

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1 points, 18 comments.

Andy Burnham has pledged to publish all of his dealings with Manchester City during his time as Manchester mayor after saying he would be "really concerned" if the club's owners had to sell up.

Downing Street issued two clarifications on Mr Burnham's position, prompting calls from politicians to come clean and publish all meetings with people at City.

The Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, was asked by GB News whether the Prime Minister should share what he discussed with City officials.

She said: "He should. I'm surprised he hasn't done that already."

When asked what specifically, Mrs Badenoch said: "Everything. The Freedom of Information requests should get those things out. Otherwise, what's being hidden?

"I think that the comments he made showed that he still thinks he is the mayor of Manchester. He is not acting like the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom."

Lee Anderson, chairman of Reform UK, told the People's Channel the Prime Minister needs to detail what was said in the meetings with City's owners.

He said: "It's important that our Prime Minister is open and transparent.

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"I'm a huge football fan and facts are facts, Manchester City have cheated their way to success; therefore, Burnham should publish all the details of his meetings with the owners.

"Our beautiful game must not be held to ransom by people from the highest bidder."

Mr Burnham has now responded, saying he will "put out there" everything he had done to work with the club's owners as mayor.

"The football issues are different from the investment issues," the Prime Minister told the Rest is Politics.

"But I see now people trying to conflate these things. I've been asked by the leader of the opposition to publish details of my meetings, which I'm happy to do.

"I will quite clearly put out there everything that I have done working with them in my previous role as mayor of Greater Manchester.

"None of it is recent, actually, in terms of the meetings I had. I only had one significant meeting, actually, and that was in 2021. That is right, and I will put that all out there.

"But the football issues, they are serious and have to be dealt with, and the process is independent, and it has to run its course. But I think everybody should separate the investment issues because they're not the same thing."

City were found guilty on September 25 by an independent commission over allegations covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons.

It found the club had breached financial rules, including through sponsorship arrangements it described as part of a "disguised funding scheme".

The Citizens confirmed it had lodged an appeal on October 1, writing that its "firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors of law, principle and fact and is unsafe".

A separate Appeal Board will consider its appeal under Premier League rules.

The rules require a hearing within 12 weeks of lodging an appeal, but the final timetable and outcome remain uncertain.

Any question of punishment is being handled separately.

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Ever struggled to remember your password for your account on the UK Government website?

Whether you're checking your HMRC records, managing your State Pension, or renewing your driving licence, the GOV.UK One Login is more important than ever before. This account is designed to simplify an endless list of logins to access various services run out of Whitehall.

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While there's less to remember, it means that your password to GOV.UK One Login should be extremely secure. Fortunately, the latest update means over 23 million Britons can now ditch their passwords for something simpler.

It means GOV.UK One Login will now follow the UK Government's own advice about passwords. Back in April, the National Cyber Security Centre – part of GCHQ — announced that all 69.3million people living in the UK should ditch the jumble of letters, numbers, and symbols used for decades to secure all online accounts.

The agency, which serves as the UK's technical authority for cyber threats and offers advice for citizens, industry, and Government on hacks and attacks, believes it's time to move to passkeys instead.

What exactly is a passkey? In the simplest terms, it's a way to sign into an account online or via an app without typing in a password at all. Instead, you use your fingerprint, Face ID or a PIN to get in. That's the same biometric security you probably already use to unlock your smartphone or tablet every day.

If you pay using Apple Pay or Google Pay, check your bank balance on a mobile app, or unlock your PC using Windows Hello — you're already used to the convenience of biometrics.

Passkeys bring that same simplicity and security to every login. No more forgotten passwords scribbled on Sticky Notes or tapping the "Forgotten Password?" prompt to desperately attempt to reset your login for the umpteenth time. You can simply use your fingertip or face to unlock access to everything.

Rather than a username-password combination verifying that you should have access to an account, passkeys use biometrics — scanning your fingerprint, facial recognition, or an on-screen PIN — to check your identity on a support device, like a tablet, smartphone, or PC, then it relays the result to the online service.

It's your device that is vouching for you, and then the website or app simply takes its word for it.

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Unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than one-time codes sent via SMS. Google called the roll-out of passkeys "the beginning of the end of the password", although they're unlikely to eliminate old-fashioned passwords for some time.

Microsoft now asks all account-holders to default to passkeys, instead of an old-fashioned alphanumeric password.

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Let's be honest, traditional passwords are far from secure. They're easily guessed and frequently stolen.

In the last few months alone, we've seen security researchers unearth the so-called "mother of all breaches", with billions of stolen usernames and passwords for popular sites like LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, and Dropbox. Not only that, but hackers used credential stuffing to break into half a million Roku accounts and spend money using saved payment details.

Aside from being more secure, passkeys are also fast. You can log in up to eight times faster than the old method of typing a username, password and then waiting for a text code via email or SMS.

Over 300,000 people have already made the switch during the trial period.

Following the broader rollout, almost one in 10 daily logins to GOV.UK One Login now use passkeys instead of traditional passwords. And here's something you'll appreciate as a taxpayer: this shift is saving nearly £600 every single day in text message costs. That's around £4,200 saved every week, or £219,000 annually.

That's because the UK Government won't need to send you those verification codes.

Beyond the speed, passkeys offer you much better protection against online criminals. They're tied directly to your specific device and the exact website you're visiting, which means fraudsters can't trick you into handing them over through fake emails or dodgy websites.

Your fingerprint or Face ID information never leaves your device. GOV.UK One Login doesn't see it or store it anywhere, so there's nothing for hackers to steal from the UK Government's servers.

Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock said: "Nobody enjoys hunting for a forgotten password or waiting for a text message code just to check their tax return or renew a document. Passkeys mean people can access the services they rely on in seconds, using the same fingerprint or face scan they already use to unlock their phone.

"This is about making government services simpler and safer for everyone, while giving people stronger protection against the fraudsters who target passwords."

The National Cyber Security Centre backs this approach, recommending passkeys as a stronger alternative because they simply can't be intercepted, reused or nicked. Discussing the push for passkeys in more places, Jonathon Ellison, NCSC Director for National Resilience, said: "Cyber criminals often look for the easiest route to access important accounts, which means login details remain a common target. But passkeys offer a highly phishing-resistant alternative to passwords, frustrating attackers and saving the public time."

If you're not quite ready to make the leap, don't worry. Passkeys are completely optional, so you can carry on using your password if that's what you prefer. But if you fancy giving it a go, setting up a passkey is straightforward. You'll simply use the security features that are already built into your device.

GOV.UK One Login gives you access to a growing number of services, from checking your State Pension to managing your tax affairs and getting childcare support.

The NCSC is urging people to set up passkeys wherever they're available, not just for government services. It's described as a small but meaningful step that helps protect your online accounts. By switching to a passkey, you're making life harder for cyber criminals whilst making your own life a whole lot easier.

Tags: usa, trump, politics, meme

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Russia and Ukraine have agreed to an energy ceasefire, Donald Trump has confirmed, however Volodymyr Zelensky has said the agreement is news to him.

Taking to social media, the US President said: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine.

"Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!"

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine will agree to the deal if the Russians have agreed themselves, but said Mr Trump's social media announcement was "news" to him.

Meanwhile Rosatom, Russia's state energy corporation, says it expects to reach a ceasefire agreement soon and repair damaged equipment at the Zaporizhzhia thermal power station.

The news comes just hours after President Trump had called on Ukraine to "get a new President" in an escalation on his war of words with Mr Zelensky.

In response, the Ukrainian President told ABC News this afternoon:"Please tell [Vladimir] Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections."

It was revealed this week that Washington had sealed a deal with Putin to release millions of tonnes of diesel onto the global market.

Mr Trump is understood to have inked the deal after Ukraine defied his previous demands for Kyiv to cease its bombing campaign on Russian energy infrastructure.