Britons living in a Cambridgeshire town have sounded the alarm over alleged plans to open a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for asylum seekers near a school.

In June, Littleport Town Council said it was made aware of "a number of" comments relating to migrants being housed in the area, but said they were "not aware of, any such accommodation being established in the parish".

But speaking to GB News, local resident Steve said he made an extraordinary revelation after his next-door neighbour sold his home, with "fire doors" being installed by the new tenants.

A Home Office spokesman told the People's Channel "The safety of local communities is central to our immigration reforms, which is why asylum seekers are routinely screened against policing, criminality and immigration databases before they are permitted to move into sites."

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Local authorities, including Sir Sadiq Khan's City Hall, have recommended a controversial charity's asylum toolkit to help illegal migrants secure UK residency claims with the Home Office, GB News can exclusively reveal.

An investigation conducted by the People's Channel found the Greater London Authority, Ealing Council and Hertfordshire County Council all highlighted services provided by the non-governmental organisation Right to Remain on their websites.

Part of the charity’s toolkit includes social media videos that provide asylum system explainers for those having their claims heard by the Home Office.

The videos include step-by-step guides for the asylum interview process.

Right to Remain offers advice in a host of foreign languages, including Somali, Arabic, Pashto and Persian.

It describes itself as a group that “works with communities, groups and organisations across the UK".

In its description, the NGO admitted: "We provide information, resources, training and assistance to help people to establish their right to remain.

"We challenge injustice in the immigration and asylum system."

The Right to Remain website also claims migrants are "faced with a hostile environment denying them basic rights, and major obstacles to establishing their legal rights to stay".

In its 2023/24 impact report, it explicitly claims it is on a journey to a world in which “no one is illegal”.

The charity also mentions its campaigners wear T-shirts depicting this slogan.

In a submission to the Charity Commission, Right to Remain claimed its asylum toolkit was used by more than 300,000 people.

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A linked campaign group, which Right to Remain claims to run, called These Walls Must Fall, describes itself as “a network of refugee and migrant campaigners working with allies and supporters for radical change”.

It also claims “we need a movement based on radical solidarity to counter the government’s racist hostile environment” and “the border enforcement regime is a racist system”.

Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, Robert Bates, told Britain's News Channel: “Public bodies should be nowhere near this pro-open borders group, Right to Remain, and should certainly not be promoting its asylum toolkit.

"Whilst the vast majority of the British public want all illegal migrants detained and deported, it continues to be the tiny sect of anti-British volunteers that call the shots.

"As this exceptional research highlights, there is still a long way to go.”

In a statement, Right to Remain said: "Right to Remain’s Toolkit provides information about the immigration and asylum system based only on legal information published by the Home Office and other publicly available official sources.

"We present this information in plain English to help people understand the system. The Toolkit is publicly available online.

"Right to Remain is a registered charity and receives no Government funding.

"We are clear that the Toolkit provides general information and that we do not provide individual immigration or legal advice."

A spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council said: "Hertfordshire County Council does not endorse Right to Remain as an organisation, nor does it endorse the organisation's wider aims or campaigning activities.

"Where reference has been made to Right to Remain's asylum toolkit, this has been solely because it provides information about the UK asylum system that officers considered useful for educational and informational purposes."

GB News also contacted the Mayor of London's office and Ealing Council for comment.

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A Somali small boat migrant allegedly slashed a welfare officer with a large kitchen knife at a hotel housing asylum seekers, a court has heard.

Abdifatah Adani, 22, is accused of knifing Aaron Gomes "multiple times" at the Stanwell Hotel in Stanwell, Surrey.

Prosecutors said the incident occurred around 6.30pm on Saturday at the location, which is near Heathrow Airport.

Armed officers from Surrey Police were called to the scene.

Adani was charged with one count of attempted murder.

Prosecutor Lucy Lumsden told Staines Magistrates’ Court on Monday: "The complainant, Aaron Gomes, was employed as a welfare officer at the asylum hotel.

"This defendant has stabbed him multiple times until Mr Gomes lost balance before managing to escape.

"Police attended and began giving Mr Gomes first aid."

She added: "He had lost a significant amount of blood, was very pale and going in and out of consciousness."

Ms Lumsden said that Mr Gomes sustained five knife wounds, two to the upper body and three to his leg.

Among them was a “significant” injury to his upper body, after the blade penetrated his chest cavity, Ms Lumsden said.

Police said Mr Gomes was taken to hospital and is now in a "stable condition".

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The court heard that the defendant entered the UK via a small boat.

Adani, who wore a grey tracksuit and was assisted by a Somali interpreter, spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

He has not yet entered a formal plea of guilty or not guilty regarding the stabbing.

Adani was remanded in custody to next appear at Guildford Crown Court on September 17.

The Home Office has committed to phasing out the use of hotels as accommodation for those seeking asylum.

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Campaigners battling to preserve a historic aviary in Southport have launched a forceful counterattack against the local authority's decision to shut down the facility next year.

The Save Our Aviary campaign has enlisted a former government zoo inspector to challenge Sefton Council's planned March closure of the Churchtown Botanic Gardens aviary, which has housed birds for 87 years.

Peter Scott, who previously worked as a DEFRA zoo inspector, has warned relocating the birds "will not be improved by being moved".

The campaigners have dismissed the council's reasoning as "generic" whilst gathering significant public backing, with 15,000 signatures now collected on a petition opposing the shutdown.

The growing confrontation comes after the council announced in July its intention to close the facility, citing animal welfare concerns and maintenance expenses.

The local authority has justified its decision by arguing the aviary fails to meet contemporary welfare expectations and that upkeep expenses have become unsustainable.

Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council's leader, revealed the authority had attempted to transfer the site away from its management a decade earlier, although those plans ultimately collapsed.

The council has received backing from PETA, the largest animal rights organisation globally, which came forward last week to endorse the shutdown.

The authority has committed to finding new homes for the creatures with appropriately equipped facilities, ruling out euthanasia as an option.

Dr Carys Bennett, senior corporate projects manager at PETA, praised the decision to relocate the animals to venues with better resources to accommodate their requirements.

"Birds are not ornaments to be displayed," she stated. "The aviary's parrots, for example, are highly social animals who, in nature, live in flocks, fly long distances, forage for food, and make their own choices."

The Save Our Aviary group has issued a strongly worded statement attacking both the council's stance and the expert testimonies supporting it.

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According to the campaigners, the authority has published a position statement claiming support from animal welfare specialists worldwide in what they describe as a "desperate attempt to counter the growing local, regional and national support" against the closure.

The campaign has accused the council of presenting "generic views about captivity" rather than evidence-based assessments.

"Without assessing the Aviary itself, this is opinion, not evidence," their statement declared.

The group has further alleged "Sefton are now backfilling justification after the fact, not presenting evidence that informed the original decision".

They maintain "a public asset can't be closed on ideological grounds", arguing the council has failed to properly evaluate the facility before determining its fate.

Mr Scott, who holds honorary membership of the British Veterinary Zoological Society, has provided a comprehensive assessment defending the aviary's standards of care.

He described the birds as receiving proper nutrition and being housed in conditions that allow them to take flight over short distances whilst permitting escape from visitors when desired.

The inspector rejected what he characterised as simplistic thinking regarding bird freedom.

"Rather than the naive view that birds must be free and flying, a more nuanced approach should be taken," he argued. "Free and flying enables birds to encounter aggression, predation, injury, starvation."

Mr Scott highlighted the complex welfare needs of birds that have formed attachments to human contact, noting such creatures may exhibit stress behaviours including feather plucking without regular interaction.

He acknowledged the council's concerns about wild capture whilst observing the birds currently present were already residing in the facility and probably bred in captivity.

The facility deserves recognition for rescuing animals whilst offering free community access and enriching the birds' lives through space and human engagement, Mr Scott contended.

The resource should be "protected and lauded, not sacrificed to political whim or even worse unreasoning dogma," he stated.

The aviary closure controversy unfolds against a backdrop of broader decline affecting the gardens.

The museum building has remained shuttered for 15 years, whilst a bridge near the Verulam Roads car park deteriorated to the point of requiring removal.

Victorian bridges spanning the Serpentine Lake await urgent repairs.

The cafe stands empty and watercraft that once operated on the lake have disappeared, along with a road train that previously served visitors.

Despite these challenges, the Botanic Gardens Community Association contributes 8,000 volunteer hours annually to maintain the grounds, under the leadership of David and Ann Cobham, both 83.

Community fundraising efforts have generated £50,000 through the Make A Change For Botanic campaign spearheaded by David Rawsthorne.

Heavy rainfall regularly floods the park, overwhelming drainage systems and affecting routes to Churchtown Primary School.

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President Trump has warned he might bomb another nation in the Middle East if it “gets in the way” of his administration’s talks with Iran.

Oman, a US ally, has been playing a key role in talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz which has been largely blocked by Tehran since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February.

The US has been working with Oman on the matter as it seeks a breakthrough in reopening a waterway that is vital to the global economy.

Oman’s geography is significant in the conflict as it borders the southern side of the Strait. It has been a neutral country in the dispute, but it has come under fire from Iran on several occasions.

According to Fox News, the US President threatened Oman while using an expletive during a phone interview.

Earlier today, Iranian officials said they were close to securing an agreement with Oman amid uncertainty over talks with the US.

The 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides is soon to expire with no clarity on what follows as of yet.

Washington has also sought to reopen the Strait despite its ongoing conflict with Tehran, and Mr Trump was quoted by Fox as saying: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s**t out of them.”

Mr Trump also said in the interview the US had a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a significant military, economic and military force in Iran.

This claim was denied by an IRGC spokesman.

A spokesman told semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim News: "There are no talks taking place between IRGC officials and the Americans, and this lie by Trump is merely fantasies caused by the delusions and nightmares he has suffered as a result of defeat and desperation in the war."

Iran said earlier on Monday that an agreement with Oman for ships to pass through the Strait had been reached.

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Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters in Tehran "an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route".

In his briefing, Baghaei said both sides would iron out the details before issuing a joint statement.

Earlier this month, Iran accused the US of violating terms of the MoU, demanding compensation.

Reuters, citing an Iranian official, said Tehran wants fees of between five per cent and seven per cent of the price of cargoes from vessels who travel through it.

Mr Trump was quoted as saying he is in no rush to bring the war to a close.

“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying”, he said of Iran.

“I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry.”

The US President also insisted the upcoming November midterm elections in the US had “nothing to do with my thinking”, adding the US had no trouble with its stockpiled weapons being depleted either.

“What we’ve used is peanuts”, he insisted.

The MoU, signed on 18 June, aimed to bring about a permanent ceasefire but both sides began trading strikes once more after the deal was agreed.

A Labour MP has been suspended from the party amid questions surrounding whether he tried to avoid repaying a taxpayer-funded Covid loan.

Bayo Alaba, the MP for Southend East & Rochford, refused to answer questions about his alleged attempt to wind up one of his businesses before settling a loan.

A Labour spokesman said: "Bayo Alaba MP has referred himself to the Labour Party so that these matters can be investigated in line with the party’s rules.

“The Labour Party expects the highest standards from our elected representatives and we have robust processes in place to ensure those high standards are upheld. We cannot comment further while the investigation is ongoing."

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Britons could be facing further water bans as Whitehall officials draw up plans for a "reasonable worst case scenario" if the low levels of rainfall continue.

More than 27 million people across England have now had hosepipe use restricted in their area.

While temperatures are set to ease this week, with heavy showers are expected to hit the UK on Thursday, it is unlikely to bring an end to widespread drought conditions.

Now, officials could bring in limits to businesses and non-essential use bans (NEUBs).

Restrictions could be brought in to curb car washes, window washing and refilling of private swimming pools, including in gyms, reports The Times.

NEUBs can be imposed to stop the watering of sport and recreation pitches, which may cause issues with this year's football season underway.

So far, only one company, Southern Water, has submitted a NEUB, which will be decided by Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle.

Executive Director of the Federation of Small Businesses Craig Beaumont said: "Restricting small firms and the self-employed will hit livelihoods, so public agencies including HMRC must be ready to help, if a business or sole trader gets in trouble."

In response, a government spokesman said: "As any responsible government would, we are preparing for a range of scenarios and working with the National Drought Group to help maintain water supplies.

"We expect water companies to follow their established drought management plans and go further and faster to reduce leaks.

"We are clear that the water sector is not working for bill payers.

"That is why we are driving long-term change, including requiring companies to deliver record investment in infrastructure and changing the planning system to enable the construction of nine new reservoirs."

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Over the next week, some areas will have the "first meaningful rain for a long time".

A rainy front will begin to sweep down from Northern Ireland and Scotland towards the south of England and Wales on Monday, kicking off a wetter week with cooler conditions that are much closer to average for the time of year, the Met Office said.

Meanwhile, heavy showers are expected to hit the UK on Thursday, missing some areas but bringing the chance of surface flooding in places where rainfall is particularly intense, it added.

The change comes after the UK’s fifth heatwave of the summer, which saw the hottest day of the year recorded in Kew Gardens, London, on Thursday when temperatures reached 38.1C.

The Met Office’s Deputy Chief Forecaster Mike Silverstone said: "Many areas in England and Wales are desperate for rain, this week some of these areas will see the first meaningful rain for a long time."

Mr Silverstone said on Monday evening showers would spread further south to western parts of England and Wales as the main front clears into the North Sea.

Through Tuesday showers are expected to continue in the north of the country, particularly in the North West, and another area of rain will move into the South West by the evening.

This will then likely spread east across the South, bringing the first spell of widespread rain to areas in need the most, he added.

In an update on Monday, the National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026 so far, a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.

A total of 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has said.

Phil Garrigan, NFCC chairman, said progress was "encouraging" as firefighters tackle the blazes but added that the country was "not out of this yet".

He said: "This has undoubtedly been an incredibly tough period for fire and rescue services, but we are beginning to see incident numbers reduce and that is welcome news. Conditions remain exceptionally dry in many parts of the country and it only takes one spark to start a serious wildfire."

Kemi Badenoch has launched her search for a Conservative candidate to take on Nigel Farage in Clacton just days after Tory insiders opened the door to doing a deal with Labour in the seaside seat.

Mr Farage, who was elected as the MP for Clacton in 2024, retained the seat last week after calling a by-election over revelations about a £5million gift from the Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.

GB News understands the process of selecting a new Conservative candidate in Clacton will formally start next month, with Tories approved to put their names forward now being invited to do so.

A Tory candidate will also be selected for the seats of 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.

Ex-Tory MP Giles Watling opened the door to a return to frontline politics when Mr Farage triggered the 2026 Clacton by-election earlier this summer.

Mr Watling, a theatre actor who lost to Mr Farage in 2024 by 8,405 votes, was born and raised in the coastal constituency.

He romped to victory in the 2019 General Election with a thumping 31,438 votes, putting him ahead of Mr Farage's by-election showing of 22,239.

However, Mr Watling is not guaranteed to be selected as the Conservative Party's candidate, with Mrs Badenoch requiring all would-be MPs to adopt tough stances on the European Convention on Human Rights and Net Zero.

The Tories have instead been tipped to select a military veteran to stand as the party's candidate in Clacton.

A second by-election could take place in Clacton later this year after the standards commissioner reopened its investigation into the £5million gift given to Mr Farage.

However, a by-election is only possible if the investigation rules against Mr Farage and MPs on the privileges committee suspend the Clacton MP for 10 days or more.

Such a situation would trigger a recall petition in Mr Farage's seat, with 10 per cent of the electorate needing to sign up to force a poll in the once-safe Tory seat for the second time this year.

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Speaking to GB News ahead of his victory in Clacton, the Reform UK leader said: "The voters of Clacton don't care.

"Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative canvassers have been out for [Count] Binface.

"They're not going to win. They will not call a second by-election. They'd be stupid to do so."

He added: "If I've made one sin, it is I haven't fill in a piece of paper.

"I've broken no law. I've broken no tax law. I've taken no public money."

The Reform UK leader, who continues to deny any wrongdoing, continues to outpoll his mainstream opponents in Clacton.

In an opinion poll conducted ahead of the by-election on August 13, Survation found Mr Farage would receive 57 per cent of the vote, up by 11 per cent compared to 2024 and down by just five points on last week.

Meanwhile, Tory support could slump from 28 per cent to just 11 per cent, leaving the Greens, Labour and Liberal Democrats on single digits.

However, top Tories have put pressure on Andy Burnham to step aside in an attempt to hoover up anti-Reform votes in Clacton.

A senior Conservative source told The Telegraph: “If Burnham was sensible, he’d obviously stand aside in the next by-election.

"Labour don’t stand a chance, and Binface’s numbers show there’s a sizeable anti-Farage vote in Clacton.

“Either way, Kemi’s been clear she wants to throw everything at it.

"Reform’s laughable overselling of Farage’s poor performance on Thursday shows they’re clearly worried this isn’t over.”

Count Binface finally managed to retain his deposit in Clacton after securing 9,455 votes.

The raw figure roughly equates to the number of ballots given to Labour and the Greens in 2024, with the novelty candidate's 26.9 per cent vote share falling just short of Mr Watling's in 2024.

Labour insiders have since rejected the suggestion of standing down in Clacton.

However, Reform UK figures have described reports of a deal as another example of the so-called "uniparty" in action.

Green councillors in Norwich have floated the idea of using contraception to curb the city's pigeon population, sparking a row in the city.

Food traders at the market say the birds are causing chaos, with too many people feeding pigeons at the nearby war memorial.

Stallholders report that the animals are disrupting their businesses while costing the council thousands of pounds in cleaning bills for the memorial.

Some Green councillors have backed "pigeon contraception" as a humane method of reducing bird numbers and the accompanying guano.

While the Greens and a conservation group called Peck Savers have opposed plans to ban pigeon-feeding, it has become a hot topic in the city.

Carli Harper, who leads the Labour group on Norwich City Council, said the pigeon issue had generated the biggest stir among residents.

She questioned the practicality of the contraception proposal, noting that no suitable products are currently licensed and warning it "would have a massive impact on other bird species."

Councillor Harper said: "We had one of their candidates turn up to the full council, where this was raised as a petition, in a pigeon mask.

"One of the newly elected green City councillors proudly over the last week or two has sat on the war memorial with pigeon food, taking pictures of herself covered in pigeons."

In response, Lucy Galvin, the Green Leader of Norwich City Council, pushed back against the criticism, insisting her party was not opposed to managing the pigeon population.

She told The Times: "Our priority is to work on evidence-based solutions that are effective, good value for money for the public, and are humane."

When asked about the pigeon contraceptive proposals, Councillor Galvin said the claim was "mooted", but likely as an option raised "in one meeting that should be looked at with everything else".

She added: "We haven’t put it forward, it’s not licensed in this country. So it’s not an option frankly."

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The dispute is just one issue causing clashes between Labour and the Greens over the direction of Norwich City Council since the May elections.

In Norwich, the Greens also attempted to bestow the Freedom of the City on the River Wensum, an ancient civic honour traditionally reserved for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to local life.

Councillor Galvin said her party "make no apology for caring about the river," describing it as "an incredibly important part of the city."

She clarified what her party had been pushing for was actually charter status, a legal or moral recognition of a river as a living ecosystem, under the ceremonial Freedom of the City title.

However, Councillor Harper said the proposal to give the award to the river had been “bonkers”.

She said: "It’s so performative. It is massive immaturity and naivety but it’s also this preoccupation with virtue signaling rather than getting on with the day-to-day practical work it takes to run a council."

"Local government has been cut to the bone since 2010, and actually it helps no one to waste time on things that are performative when we have critical services that people rely on us for."

The party also raised eyebrows after it removed armrests from park benches to make them more accessible for rough sleepers.

Labour's Mike Stonard, deputy leader of the opposition group and a senior figure in the previous administration, was scathing about the bench armrest removal, calling it "quite remarkable" and comparing it to "student union politics."

He described the move as "insulting to street-homeless people," arguing the Greens had spent years attacking Labour over rough sleeping only to offer this as their sole initiative.

Councillor Galvin rejected the characterisation, insisting homelessness was "absolutely a priority" and pointing to housebuilding plans."

She said: "There will be a concerted effort [from opposition parties] to run some lines that all the Greens are silly. We've always faced that. But we’re here, we’ve been in opposition for a long time and we’ve worked really hard for the city even in opposition.

"We really want to use this time that we’ve now got the administration to really get some of this stuff done — we know what we’re doing and we’re getting on with it."

Andy Burnham has been warned not to overuse emergency alerts amid furious accusations that it risked making the Prime Minister look like he was "crying wolf".

A report from the Cabinet Office has warned the mobile notifications could damage public confidence in the alert system, first introduced back in 2024.

At around 7pm on Friday, the Government issued a severe alert telling the public not to use barbecues, campfires, or fireworks to avoid sparking wildfires as soaring temperatures scorched parts of Britain.

The Prime Minister instructed Britons to "take the emergency alert seriously", adding: "Our priority now is to keep everyone safe and prevent more fires from starting."

It is believed convicted fraudster and First Secretary of State Louise Haigh was behind the alert being sent out to phones across the nation.

The Government claimed the decision reached the required threshold and that it was in response to a "direct" request from emergency services tasked with combating the wildfires.

However, a Cabinet Office report from 2014 issued official advice to avoid using emergency alerts for "lower-level incidents", The Telegraph revealed.

The document says the public should only receive such notifications regarding bomb explosions and chemical spills.

The alerts would be allowed regarding extreme weather - but only weather which posed an "immediate and direct risk to life".

It reads: "Responders agreed that the system would lose its impact if it was used too regularly.

"It was agreed, for example, that communications for incidents such as lower-level disorder would be dealt with using other channels.

"It should not be used too frequently and only for the most serious of emergencies, or recipients may become complacent."

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Earlier today, Reform MP Danny Kruger slammed the "absolute abuse" of the UK’s emergency alert system after millions of Britons received blaring warnings on Friday.

Speaking on GB News, he insisted that the notifications should be “reserved for genuine emergencies and immediate risk to life".

“I was driving along a main road in my constituency; suddenly my phone is shouting at me through the car speakers. I didn't know what was going on,” Mr Kruger began, recounting his own experience.

“Then it turns out that they were telling us not to have a barbecue.

“We can't have the government just intruding into our lives,” the former Tory minister insisted.

He continued: “Think about all the people who are driving on motorways, but also people in cinemas and at important private family events.

“Suddenly everybody's phones are blaring at them with a frankly trivial public safety message. I think it was a very inappropriate use of that system.”

At first, the Government contemplated sending out a targeted alert to individuals who were the worst-affected across the UK, such as the West Midlands.

In the end, the Cabinet Office opted to alert the entire nation.

Over in Wales, the notification was initially sent out in Welsh, causing widespread panic to those unable to understand the language.

Sir Tony Blair and Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the leaders of Hamas as negotiations over peace plans in the region continue to stall.

The former Prime Minister and White House envoy met Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo in an attempt to advance the US President's Gaza peace plan.

According to sources, Sir Tony, Mr Kushner and Board of Peace high representative, Nickolay Mladenov, are attempting to salvage the peace deal struck in October to end the war and rebuild the much-destroyed Palestinian territory.

Israel has resumed airstrikes in the past few days after scaling back its attacks in the enclave earlier this month.

In a two-hour meeting, Hamas officials insisted they were committed to disarming and handing over control in Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic government, in line with the plan’s second phase.

A source said: "Kushner stressed to Hamas leaders that the bar is high because the Israeli side doesn’t trust them to actually disarm.

"Kushner told them there is no room for negotiations on the disarmament, but if they show real steps the US will do its best to make sure Israel takes steps of its own."

Hamas has previously rejected the word "disarmament", instead saying it has agreed to hand over its weapons to be stored under the control of a US-backed Palestinian technocratic government.

Hamas, which was declared a terrorist organisation in 2021 in the UK by then-Home Secretary Priti Patel, has governed Gaza since 2007.

The group's 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel.

The group's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, carried out the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, where Hamas infiltrated homes, targeted Israelis en masse, and took civilians and soldiers as hostages back into Gaza.

Israeli figures show 1,200 people were killed in the October 7 attack on Israel, while the IDF's retaliatory offensive killed more than 73,000 people, according to Gazan health authorities.

Despite the devastation caused by Israel's Gaza offensive, Mr Hayya said in a December 2025 speech that "the resistance" had shown "the enemy can be defeated" and that the myth of Israeli "strategic deterrence" had been shattered.

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During his meeting, Mr Kushner also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is coming under increasing pressure both domestically and internationally after rejecting the new 15-point, US-backed road map.

The Prime Minister's Likud party, which is continuing to struggle in the polls ahead of an October 27 national election, accused the Arab countries of wanting to topple Netanyahu so his political rivals in Israel will "give them everything that they want".

Meanwhile, Israel has come under international condemnation after Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly advocated killing "30 to 40" people in Gaza each night.

Ben-Gvir, who forms part of Netanyahu's coalition cabinet, told an Israeli podcast: "I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night.

"Not just those who pose an immediate threat, there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people."

Since the US-mediated ceasefire reached in October 2025, more than 1,250 people have been killed in the Israeli attacks, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials.

Hamas has not disclosed the number of its fighters killed, while four Israeli soldiers have been killed in this time in Gaza.

Israeli troops have occupied and depopulated two-thirds of the enclave, leaving nearly all its more than two million residents confined to a tiny strip of land under Hamas control along the coast, most in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

The Israeli military said its aircraft struck two Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants in Khan Younis and Nuseirat, leaving at least five Palestinians wounded in the strike that hit a tent encampment.

One of those wounded in the strike on Khan Younis in southern Gaza died from their wounds, medics at Nasser Hospital said later.

It comes as Pope Leo issued a desperate plea for an end to violence against Palestinians amid a surge of attacks by militant settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli settlers encircled houses after cutting off water and electricity, in what rights groups have said is a concerted effort to seize more land and further eat into territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state.

The Vatican has long backed the idea of a future Palestinian state, which has been recognised by more than 150 of 193 UN member states as encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Pope Leo said: "I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank."

Reform UK has proposed a sweeping overhaul of the benefits system that would see close to three million people's disability and sickness payments either removed or altered.

The party's plans, which represent policy proposals rather than confirmed government legislation, would scrap personal independence payments and the health-related component of Universal Credit for working-age adults.

In their place, the party would establish a new health security allowance restricted to those it describes as the "gravely ill and severely challenged."

Robert Jenrick, Reform's Treasury spokesperson, pointed to 6.9 million people currently in receipt of disability benefits, arguing: "This is not an epidemic of broken backs and lost limbs."

He highlighted that the proportion of working-age individuals claiming on mental health and behavioural grounds had tripled since 2002.

Party leader Nigel Farage and Mr Jenrick jointly described the existing welfare system as "a moral and fiscal catastrophe," insisting that "a welfare system that allows people who could work to remain dependent is not compassionate."

The proposals were developed over several months with input from experts, including former DWP officials.

Under the reformed system, additional cash support beyond standard Universal Credit rates would be channelled through a new Personal Independence Payment and Health Security Allowance (PIP/HSA), available only to those meeting a strict threshold of severity.

Qualifying conditions would encompass terminal illness, severe permanent physical disability, profound learning disability, severe autism requiring substantial support, enduring serious mental illness, major neurological disease and significant brain injury.

Those highly reliant on assistance for everyday living, or whose conditions are irreversible, deteriorating or unlikely to improve, would also be eligible where prognosis or safeguarding concerns warranted ongoing financial support.

Fresh claimants who passed this gateway would receive a flat-rate monthly payment of £429.80 at 2026/27 rates, matching the current higher LCWRA element for severe lifelong conditions.

Combined with the standard Universal Credit allowance, a single person aged 25 or above would therefore take home £854.70 per month before any additions for housing, children, caring responsibilities or other relevant elements.

Recipients of the allowance would not be subject to standard work requirements, though they could take up employment voluntarily.

New claimants meeting the severity threshold would also gain access to a Disability Support Account, designed to cover verified additional costs arising from their condition.

Existing claimants whose current awards were preserved would not receive this account on top of their protected payments.

Current PIP and Universal Credit health claimants with mental health or conditions deemed trivial would face reassessment over a three-year window.

Those who satisfied the new gateway would keep the cash value of their existing awards. All other claimants would not enter the reformed system for at least three years.

The party would require all long-term claimants judged capable of working to contribute through community work.

British citizenship would become a prerequisite for accessing nearly every form of benefit.

Employers could be compelled to take out "return to work cover" insurance, funding the first two years after a worker is signed off sick.

Anyone still out of work after that period would undergo a single in-person assessment intended to "screen out vexatious and fraudulent claims."

Several groups would be shielded from the changes: state pension age recipients, severely disabled individuals, and all children currently on child DLA. The two-child benefit cap would also be reinstated.

Reform claims the entire package would deliver £50billion in annual savings to the welfare bill, amounting to roughly £1,700 per family each year. The party projects that 241,000 British nationals would return to employment by 2030 if the measures were enacted now.

According to the party's own figures, the welfare bill excluding pensions cost the typical family more than £5,600 last year, a sum it warns will climb to nearly £7,000 per family annually by 2031 under Labour.

Mr Farage and Mr Jenrick stated that the freed-up funds would be directed towards "tax relief and public services for British families."

Labour dismissed the £50billion savings figure as "fantasy economics," arguing that stripping claimants of their payments would simply transfer costs to businesses.

The party's proposals also envisage tighter enforcement against fraud and error, alongside minor technical adjustments to benefit indexation to squeeze further reductions from the budget.

Reform framed the programme not merely as a fiscal exercise but as what Mr Farage and Mr Jenrick called "a moral crusade to restore fairness to a welfare state we once prided ourselves on."

Robert Jenrick has confirmed Reform UK will renegotiate Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with the European Union if Nigel Farage becomes Prime Minister after the next general election.

Reform UK's Treasury spokesman spoke out on the EU plan after being asked by GB News's Katherine Forster about the impact of stripping benefits payments from European nationals with settled status.

Mr Jenrick, who originally campaigned to remain in the Brussels bloc in 2016, voiced his disapproval of Mr Johnson's deal and distanced himself from the 2019 Tory manifesto.

The Newark MP defected from the Tories in January this year, having spent more than a decade representing his Nottinghamshire constituents as a Conservative.

Responding to GB News's question, Mr Jenrick said: "I come back to the guiding principle that is behind everything that Richard and I have said today: fairness.

"The welfare state throughout its entire history has been about contribution.

"It was National Insurance Contributions. Beveridge spoke about contribution.

"That's the principle we want to restore. And it is not fair that British citizens are paying billions and billions of pounds every year to people who are not even Brits at all.

"One-fifth of Universal Credit claimants are not British. That's crazy. Just imagine what we can do with that money.

"Now, there's clearly going to be a renegotiation. The deal that was done, I don't believe, was a good deal.

"I think many people would support that. There are a number of points on which Reform has already made clear that we will need to return to our neighbours in the EU and renegotiate upon, and this will be one of them.

"Let's see. I'm confident that we can do that and we can restore fairness in the process.

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Reform UK insists banning migrants from claiming welfare will claw back £21billion a year by its fifth year, with the overall plan expected to cut Britain's ballooning benefits bill by £50billion.

Mr Jenrick has set aside £500million of contingency funding to cover the potential cost of British citizens returning to the UK to claim benefits if their entitlement to welfare in the EU is withdrawn.

However, the pot would only cover 10 per cent of the 1.3 million British citizens currently living in the EU.

In a social media post released shortly after Mr Jenrick's press conference, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed one in seven Universal Credit claimants are foreign nationals.

The Clacton MP, who was a key architect of the Brexit campaign, also pointed out that those in the UK on EU settled status accounted for 58 per cent of all welfare claimants.

However, Reform UK's rivals have put pressure on Mr Jenrick not to reopen the wounds of the Brexit debate.

Shadow Pensions Secretary Helen Whately dismissed the plans as “cobbled together” proposals that “will drag Britain back into Brexit battles with no certainty of success”.

She said: “British people want welfare spending under control, abuse stamped out and dignity for people who are seriously disabled: serious reforms which take hard work.”

Meanwhile, a Labour spokesman said: “These plans would mean ripping up the UK’s withdrawal agreement with the EU, plunging the UK back into years of Brexit renegotiations and stripping support from potentially millions of people who have lawfully lived, worked and paid taxes in Britain for years, and in many cases decades.

“That includes people with settled status who are part of our communities, raising families, working and contributing to our economy.”

However, Brexiteers have issued dire warnings about Labour's renegotiations with the EU.

Cabinet Minister Hamish Falconer this month committed to pursuing a "deeper relationship" with the Brussels bloc, insisting there was "room to be ambitious".

Andrew Pierce clashed with Labour MP Graeme Downie after he branded Reform UK’s plan to end benefits for all foreign nationals “dogwhistle nonsense”.

The Dunfermline and Dollar representative said the plan failed to recognise the contribution of people from overseas who work and pay into the UK.

Reform’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said he would redesign welfare and save more than £21billion a year within five years if Nigel Farage’s party win the next General Election.

He has outlined plans to cut entitlements to Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Child Benefit, free childcare and disability benefits for foreigners, including EU nationals, in the UK.

Andrew challenged Mr Downie’s criticism of the policy, asking: “Why is it a dog whistle to say foreigners should not be given benefits?

“It does not acknowledge the incredible role that people from other parts of the world play in our economy, who work very well here, who contribute an incredible amount to our economy, to our public, to our public services.”

WATCH THE FULL CLIP ABOVE

Labour has been accused of being “drunk on power” by Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly after Britons were sent an emergency alert warning about the risk of wildfires.

Speaking to GB News, the former Home Secretary said the system was meant for “very, very rare, serious, life-threatening and immediate emergencies”, not for providing public information about a situation that had developed over weeks.

“This is another example of a Labour Government drunk on power, abusing its position, abusing the mechanisms of the state to try and get ahead of the news cycle,” he said.

Sir James warned that repeated use of the system could undermine its effectiveness by making people less likely to pay attention to future alerts.

“If people get into the habit of not looking at these alerts when they come through, if they think, ‘Oh, it's another pain in the backside nonsense announcement from government’, they will stop looking at the emergency alert,” he said.

“The whole point of this is that it is rarely used, and that people pay attention when it is used. When you abuse a system like this, it devalues it massively.”

WATCH THE FULL CLIP ABOVE

Andy Burnham has been mistakenly exchanging messages with someone pretending to be a senior aide of Donald Trump.

Officials said the Prime Minister communicated with an impersonator who claimed to be White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

One source briefed on Downing Street communications said a “few messages” were exchanged after Mr Burnham entered No10 but were quick to insist they were "of no significance."

A Downing Street spokesman told Politico: "We do not comment on national security matters."

Officials said the British Embassy in Washington raised the issue with the White House after being concerned about the incident.

It follows an investigation launched by the White House and FBI after senators, governors and US business executives received texts and phone calls from someone claiming to be Mr Trump’s Chief of Staff.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Ms Wiles told associates her contacts on her mobile phone had been hacked.

What was discussed by Mr Burnham remains unclear, with the erroneous contact kept undisclosed.

While Mr Burnham is yet to meet with the President, Mr Trump had warm words for the new Prime Minister, adding he thinks the two are “going to have a very good relationship”.

Speaking to GB News in the White House earlier this month, the President said: "Two things are killing Europe. Number one is immigration. Number two is energy.

"When you look at the UK, they have one of the best energy fields in the world, North Sea oil. Now I think your new Prime Minister is going to actually open up the (North Sea), from what I hear.

"I spoke to him, and he sounded terrific on this subject. But you open it up, you’ll be a wealthy country. You keep it closed, you’re going to be a bankrupt country, which is what you are now. Essentially, you’re a bankrupt country."

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The President added: “You’re sitting on top of gold, better than gold, and you don’t do anything with it. You have your choice. Not every country has that choice. Almost no country has that choice.”

Developers of the Rosebank oil field have welcomed the closure of a consultation as a "major step" ahead of a final decision from the Government on whether the project can go ahead.

Environmental activists fear the impact that extracting fossil fuels from the UK’s largest remaining untapped oil field, which lies about 80 miles west of Shetland, would have on climate change.

The decision on whether Rosebank and another planned North Sea development, the Jackdaw gas field off the coast of Aberdeen, can go ahead will be a key environmental test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Bosses at Adura, the company behind both projects, said they would result in £10.8billion of investment, with more than three quarters of this cash expected to be spent in the UK.

Between them, Rosebank and Jackdaw could support 3,500 jobs at the peak of construction, with 880 people then employed over the lifetime of production.

Adura added that Rosebank alone is projected to produce about 69,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, with this the equivalent to roughly 10 per cent of the anticipated output from the UK Continental Shelf.

The company said Rosebank and Jackdaw together have the potential to make up 10 per cent of domestic natural gas production.

A letter addressed to the Prime Minister penned by musician Brian Eno and co-signed by 200 major artists, including Robert Smith of The Cure, Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Ed O’Brien, said: "While the impacts of the climate crisis are already hurting us all, this is what you will be remembered for.”

Deputy director at the environmental campaign group Uplift, Robert Palmer, said: "While the oil and gas industry does everything in its power to push Burnham into Trump’s drill baby, drill agenda, the nation’s new Prime Minister has watched the UK and Europe burn baby, burn."

Mr Palmer said: "Enough is enough. Burnham needs to look out of the window and acknowledge that this project will make the climate crisis worse and do nothing but rip off Britain. Rosebank must be rejected once and for all.”

Angharad Hopkinson, from Greenpeace UK, also said: "In the midst of a devastating drought with the country literally on fire, the Government should look to the obscene profits of oil and gas companies to pay for some of the changes we desperately need to keep families and workers safe."

Jeremy Clarkson has hit out at the government following the news that middle-aged men would no longer be entitled to testing designed to identify prostate cancer.

Men over 50 have been stripped of their right to the test, with GPs now given the powers to decide who is able to receive it.

Prior to the changes, any man over the age of 50 was entitled to a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test via their GP, even if they did not have symptoms.

However, the new guidance puts the onus on family doctors to decide whether testing is appropriate.

Mr Clarkson has now joined a line of critics who have condemned the changes.

The 66-year-old, who went public with his own diagnosis during the latest season of Clarkson's Farm, expressed his bemusement in a social media post.

He wrote on X: "Until last week, men over 50 were entitled to a free PSA prostate cancer check.

"But the government has now decided to withdraw that right. I cannot for the life of me work out what their reasoning might be." (sic)

Until last week, men over 50 were entitled to a free PSA prostate cancer check. But the government has now decided to withdraw that right. I cannot for the life of me work out what their reasoning might be.

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) August 16, 2026

The former Top Gear star's concerns echo those of former prime minister Lord David Cameron, who has also previously battled the illness.

Lord Cameron told The Telegraph: "This is yet another step backwards and once again shows why we need simple, proper targeted screening for all at-risk men.

"Screening is essential to catch cancers early, when they can be more effectively and successfully treated. Only due to testing, my cancer was caught and treated in time.

"I urge the new prime minister and health secretary to be brave and bold. Stop the complexity and confusion and introduce a more progressive and life-saving policy: a proper, targeted screening programme that involves all those at higher risk.

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"Without it, more men will die, and more families will lose a loved one. Heed the warnings; this is avoidable and can be done."

However, the government has decided to roll out the changes in its bid to introduce a narrow programme for men who are genetically at a higher risk.

Critics have argued that plans to reduce access might shorten waiting lists in the short-term, but would condemn thousands of men to incurable disease.

The issue is clearly one that hits close to home for Mr Clarkson, who revealed earlier this year that he was in remission from the illness.

He had signed off the latest series of his farming show, which was filmed last year, with a degree of uncertainty as to what the future may hold.

But following the episodes' broadcast this year, he confirmed testing had shown no evidence of the disease.

"I am without a doubt, officially, the world's luckiest man," he told the Sunday Times.

"It was an aggressive type of cancer. It could have spread, it could have gone into the pancreas, it could have gone anywhere, and that would have been trouble."

News of the testing restrictions wasn't the only ammo Mr Clarkson needed to hit out at the government in recent days.

The Grand Tour star has revealed he's less than fond of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to ban instant barbecues as an answer to the risk of wildfires in the country.

"There are many things that cause wildfires during a heatwave. Faulty farm machinery, discarded cigarette ends, bored kids who think it might be a laugh to get a blaze going, and even a bit of broken glass," he penned in The Sun.

"But our glorious leader, T-Shirt Burnham, has decided the real problem is the disposable barbecue. Of course he has.

"And now he has banned them. Of course he has. That’s standard practice for the Labourites. People are out in the sunshine, cooking up a couple of sausages and having fun. We can’t have that. Let’s ban it."

A disability activist has issued a dire warning over Reform UK’s plans to overhaul Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits if they win the next General Election.

Speaking to GB News, Kerry Riches said that “people will die” if Nigel Farage’s party slashes benefits in efforts to deliver £50billion in savings to the public purse.

Reform’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said the package would be the most sweeping overhaul of Britain's welfare system in a generation.

According to the party's own estimates, close to three million recipients could have their disability and sickness payments either removed or altered under the plans.

However, Ms Riches said the policy would have a devastating impact on claimants like her.

“I'm going to go in with the harsh truth on this: people will die if PIP payments are removed,” she warned.

Ms Riches, who has multiple sclerosis, said she relies on support linked to her disability to remain independent and in work, including an adapted vehicle.

“You remove PIP, and people will be isolated. People will die. People will stop working, and then they will need more help from the government.”

“PIP is an in-work non-means-tested benefit that keeps people in the workplace,” she said.

“You remove PIP, you remove adapted vehicles. I get no money from the government. I get an adapted vehicle because I've got multiple sclerosis and I cannot feel my legs from the knees down.”

She warned that cutting support could leave disabled people unable to travel to work, with mobility scooters and wheelchairs also potentially affected.

“You remove their mobility scooters, you remove their wheelchairs,” she said.

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Ms Riches also criticised the difficulties disabled people can face accessing public transport, saying she is sometimes forced to book adapted taxis because she cannot use a bus.

The activist said she had never expected to become disabled at the age of 24, having previously worked full-time.

“It was not on my bingo card to get multiple sclerosis and become disabled at the age of 24, but here I am,” she said.

Ms Riches argued that the benefits system needed reform, but said PIP was the wrong target.

“But let's not forget here that less than one per cent of PIP cases are fraud. This is the wrong benefit to target. I cannot stress that enough.”

Ms Riches instead called for an overhaul of the assessment process, including ending what she described as unnecessary reassessments for people with lifelong conditions.

“Stop reassessing me,” she said, adding that claimants should have qualified professionals carrying out assessments.

“I've never met someone who's on PIP that thinks the actual PIP process works,” she said, adding: “It is an incredibly difficult process to get. You do not get PIP lightly.”

Danny Kruger has slammed the “absolute abuse” of the UK’s emergency alert system after millions received blaring warnings on Friday.

The Reform UK MP insisted that the notifications should be “reserved for genuine emergencies and immediate risk to life” after Britons were ordered to avoid any activity that could spark a flame amid wildfires gripping parts of the country.

Around 7pm on Friday, the Government issued a “severe alert” telling the public not to use barbecues, campfires, or fireworks.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged Britons to “take the emergency alert seriously”, adding: “Our priority now is to keep everyone safe and prevent more fires from starting.”

Louise Haigh, the First Secretary of State, said tonight's message was “the most extensive use of the UK’s emergency alert system in response to an active incident”.

“I was driving along a main road in my constituency; suddenly my phone is shouting at me through the car speakers. I didn't know what was going on,” Mr Kruger began, recounting his own experience.

“Then it turns out that they were telling us not to have a barbecue.

“This is an absolute abuse of a very important public message system that has to be reserved for genuine emergencies and immediate risk to life. That's what the system was set up for.”

“We can't have the government just intruding into our lives,” the Reform MP insisted.

“Think about all the people who are driving on motorways, but also people in cinemas and at important private family events.

“Suddenly everybody's phones are blaring at them with a frankly trivial public safety message. I think it was a very inappropriate use of that system.”

Pressed on whether the alert was necessary, given the threat of wildfires at the time, Mr Kruger accepted that it could be “debated”.

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He acknowledged the weather was a “serious” issue but still questioned the Government's need to take such a severe step.

“In my constituency, we've had serious fires breaking out in the countryside. So of course it's a serious matter.

“But I think the public can be communicated with without having to interrupt them in this very intrusive, very alarming way, literally designed for an emergency and an immediate risk to life.”

“That was the terms under which this new system was set up in the last Parliament. It's a very good thing that the Government can reach us in a crisis, but I don't think this qualifies.”

To that end, he said Reform was calling for “absolute transparency” from the state on the use of the system,

“The Government has to come to the public and explain to us what on earth the criteria and the decision-making process for this was, and ensure that it doesn't happen like this again.”

The leader of the anti-Brexit Rejoin EU Party has resigned from his post just days after Nigel Farage romped to victory in Clacton.

Richard Hewison, who became leader of the Rejoin EU Party after its inception in 2020, announced his decision to step down last night after taking full responsibility for the defeat in the coastal constituency.

The Rejoin EU Party's Clacton candidate John Stevens, who spoke to GB News ahead of the polls opening, went into the by-election trying to convince voters that Brexit was a mistake.

Despite Mr Stevens beating Mr Farage into second place in Buckingham in 2010, the ex-Tory MEP ended up receiving just 492 votes, equating to around 1.4 per cent of the vote.

Meanwhile, Mr Farage romped to victory with the backing of 22,239 constituents, extending his majority to 12,784 after Count Binface hoovered up 9,455 votes.

Mr Hewison, who stood as the Rejoin EU Party's candidate for London Mayor in 2021, opened his resignation letter by saying expressing his mixed feelings following the Clacton count.

He wrote: "Although I was pleased that we came third in last Thursday’s Clacton by-election, we could and should have done far better, and as party leader I take full responsibility for that."

Mr Hewison added: "In an election in which the architect of Brexit himself was on the ballot, we should have been able to persuade the UK’s Rejoin community to get behind our party.

"We failed to do so in circumstances that should, in essence, have presented us with an open goal.

"It was heartening to see that 492 people voted for us.

"However, a very large proportion of those were people whom our six to eight volunteers spoke to face to face on the doorstep.

"Given the circumstances, I should have been able, as leader, to mobilise more than 100 volunteers to join us in Clacton, which I believe would have produced a markedly different result.

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"I failed to do so, and I take responsibility for that failure."

The Rejoin EU Party, which was co-founded by ex-Tory MEP Brendan Donnelly, has failed to retain its deposit in every single Westminster election contested since 2021.

However, the result in Clacton was the party's second-best, with the vote share falling narrowly behind the 1.8 per cent Bill Colegrave received in Remain-voting Hammersmith & Chiswick in 2024.

The party's electoral performance has also remained far below the level of public support for Britain returning to the European Union, with YouGov suggesting 55 per cent would now back reversing Brexit.

Brexiteers have stressed to GB News that the polls would likely narrow or even switch in favour of staying out of the Brussels bloc when the terms of rejoining the EU become clearer.

Anti-Brexit demonstrators were also ridiculed on social media earlier this year after just a few hundred protesters descended on London ahead of the anniversary of the 2016 vote.

Mr Hewison's resignation also prompted a response from the pro-Brexit campaign group Britain Unbound.

In a statement, the group said: "The leader of the Rejoin EU Party has resigned, following the poor result in the Clacton by-election.

"We wish Richard well in his future endeavours, but would respectfully suggest that it was not his fault Clacton didn't vote for his party.

"They just don't want to rejoin the EU."

Almost 70 per cent of voters in Clacton voted to cut ties with the EU in 2016.

The seat has also been represented by a number of high-profile Eurosceptics, including ex-Ukip MP Douglas Carswell.

All homes built near railway stations will be given automatic approval under new plans being drawn up by Angela Rayner.

The Housing Secretary is rewriting rules, meaning there will be a "default yes" for developments within walking distance of train, tram and London Underground stops.

The change comes when the Government is just over a quarter of the way to its target of building 1.5 million homes in England after two years of the five-year parliament.

Under the new National Planning Policy Framework, which was published on Monday, there will be default approval for homes built within "reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations".

Ms Rayner said: "A safe, secure home is the foundation of opportunity, but too many people are being priced out of the communities where they want to live and work.

"By unlocking thousands of homes around well-connected transport hubs, we’re helping people live closer to work, school and the services they rely on, while backing local businesses and driving growth in our communities.

"That’s how we’ll tackle the housing crisis and raise living standards for people in every corner of the country."

Despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s promises of devolution, the planning shake-up will also mean conflicting local positions will carry less weight if they are inconsistent with national decision-making policies.

The latest estimate is that 392,400 net additional homes had been delivered in England between July 2024 when Labour came into office and June 14 this year.

Around 600,000 new homes would need to have been added in the first two years to keep pace with the 1.5 million target over five years, although ministers are hopeful that planning reforms will speed up delivery in the coming years.

Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly said Labour was "failing abysmally" to meet the 1.5 million homes target.

He said: "To try to fix their own mess, Labour are planning a power grab, seizing control from local communities and forcing them to accept development in the wrong areas because Labour won’t build in the right areas."

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Sir James said Mr Burnham "is going to overrule councils on green belt development and launch a new campaign of garden grabbing".

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: "These reforms are in direct contradiction of Andy Burnham’s devolution agenda.

"Far from empowering local councils who actually know their communities, they strip power from the people who live there and hand it to Whitehall so ministers can ram through major housing developments while sidelining residents and ignoring the infrastructure that already can’t cope."

Under the new system, Sport England will continue to advise on "significant" cases and the Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust will only be notified about relevant applications.

The Garden Trust said it was "devastating news" that the organisation would no longer be a statutory consultee, warning it will put parks at risk.

Trust chairman John Watkins said: "This devalues these special places and makes them vulnerable to poorly informed development."

Chancellor John Healey said: "We want to drive growth in every postcode and help more working people into home ownership. A secure home is the heart of all our lives, helping people put down roots, plan for the future and build a good life for themselves and their families.

"This is about creating opportunity, prosperity and stronger communities across the country."

Reform will ban foreign nationals, including those with EU settled status, from claiming almost all forms of welfare.

Robert Jenrick revealed a Reform UK government would redesign welfare and save over £50billion a year by scrapping benefits.

The Reform UK Shadow Chancellor said: "Forcing British workers to pay for the benefits of foreigners is not just economically illiterate but plain immoral. People are more than happy to support their neighbours in hard times, but the British taxpayer cannot afford to subsidise everyone on the planet, especially those who have not paid in.

"The public have been crying out for this change for decades. Unlike the two old parties, Reform will deliver a system that’s fair for the British people."

Responding to Reform UK’s announcement on foreign national access to benefits, a Labour spokesman said: "These plans would mean ripping up the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, plunging the UK back into years of Brexit renegotiations, and stripping support from potentially millions of people who have lawfully lived, worked, and paid taxes in Britain for years, and in many cases decades.

"That includes people with settled status who are part of our communities, raising families, working, and contributing to our economy.

"The vast majority of migrants have no access to the welfare system at all under the existing rules. Labour is already tightening the rules further through reforms to earned settlement, including extending the standard pathway to settlement from five years to ten years.

"Alongside this, Labour is reforming our welfare system: narrowing the gap between Universal Credit standard and health rates, restoring face-to-face assessments, and investing £3.5 billion in employment support to end the Conservative system of people being signed off and written off.

"We're putting work and opportunity at the heart of the system, with further reform to follow the Milburn and Timms reports."

Helen Whately MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: "British people want welfare spending under control, abuse stamped out - and dignity for people who are seriously disabled. Serious reforms which take hard work.

"Reform UK have spent months flip-flopping on the two-child cap and now they’ve rushed out a cobbled-together announcement which is already unravelling. Their proposals will drag Britain back into Brexit battles with no certainty or success.

"The Conservatives have a credible plan to save £23billion from welfare, alongside our root-and-branch review of sickness benefits. That’s the serious approach needed to deliver lasting welfare reform."

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…

Conservatives to launch crackdown on traveller lawbreaking

The Conservatives have today pledged to launch a crackdown on illegal traveller sites and to tackle unauthorised developments, using freedoms gained by leaving the ECHR.

Kemi Badenoch's party has vowed to ban travellers from returning to encampments indefinitely, and hand power to remove travellers if requested by the landowner.

They also say they will rebuild hard deterrence by making it an offence to trespass with a vehicle after being directed to leave and scrap the ban on removing trespassing travellers if no alternative site is available in the area.

Sir James Cleverly MP, Shadow Communities Secretary, said: "Communities across our country are forced to put up with lawbreaking by a small minority of travellers. In some areas, illegal sites and unauthorised development of legal sites is having a major negative impact on the local population, and residents feel abandoned.

"Police and local councils need our backing to intervene and take robust action without fearing they will be tripped up by activist lawfare. With new freedoms gained by leaving the ECHR, we will end the soft-touch approach favoured by Labour and ensure everyone is treated equally under the law.

"The Conservatives are the only party with a clear and coherent plan to back local communities, end the two-tier treatment of travellers and crack down on criminality.”

Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said: "Those who break the rules must be punished. That is a basic principle that must apply equally to all communities.

"Yet a small minority of travellers are getting away with things we would never tolerate among the wider population. It’s time for tough action to get this problem under control.

"Our plan will give the authorities the backing they need to crack down on traveller lawbreaking, putting local residents first and ensuring equality before the law. We are the only Party with the leadership and the viable plan to do that."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Donald Trump has called on the US military to "substantially reduce" the number of joint military exercises with South Korea because of his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong-Un.

Hours before the military drills were set to begin, the President said he was "not happy" with the large-scale military exercises which were agreed to "long ago".

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise are scheduled from August 17 to 27, with about 18,000 South Korean military personnel participating.

"These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful," the President wrote on Truth Social.

Saying it was "too late to cancel", he said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had been instructed to "substantially reduce" the joint military exercises.

Mr Trump also suggested the planned cutback in military drills was connected to the Iran war.

The President said: "While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the denuclearisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, 'No thanks!'."

South Korea and the US have conducted joint military exercises for over 70 years, but in recent years have shifted away from live-firing exercises to computer-simulated missile and cyberattacks.

This is not the first time the President has sought to end the long-lasting military relationship.

During his first term, Mr Trump said it was "inappropriate to have war games" with South Korea as the US was engaged in nuclear negotiations with North Korea.

And after a summit with Kim in 2019, the President said the annual large-scale exercises would be reorganised into smaller drills.

"The reason I do not want military drills with South Korea is to save hundreds of millions of dollars for the U.S. for which we are not reimbursed," he said at the time.

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Mr Trump has previously called Kim "little rocket man" and threatened "fire and fury".

But the pair have also held several summits and built a seemingly close relationship.

"He wrote me beautiful letters and they're great letters. We fell in love," he told supporters at a campaign rally in 2018.

This year's event includes exercises to counter drones, GPS disruption and cyberattacks to adapt to North Korea's evolving capabilities, according to US officials.

Colonel Ryan Donald, director of public affairs for the Combined Forces Command, United Nations Command and US Forces Korea said the drills reflected the changing nature of war after conflicts including Ukraine - where North Korean troops have been deployed.

"DPRK soldiers have deployed and fought in Ukraine, and they've taken those lessons they've learned there and brought them back to North Korea," he told Reuters.

Ukraine said last week that North Korean manufactured missiles were used in a Russian ballistic missile attack on a steel plant in Zaporizhzhia which killed seven.

It remains unclear how exactly the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills could be cut back, but South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the drills started on Monday.

The Conservative Party has pledged to launch a "crackdown on illegal traveller sites".

The party said that by leaving the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and scrapping the Human Rights Act police would be empowered to ban travellers from encampments.

The Conservatives argued communities were being "forced to tolerate illegal encampments and breaches of planning laws" and "antisocial behaviour and petty crime, by a small minority of travellers".

House of Commons research commissioned by the party revealed that in the two years to January 2026, the number of caravans on unauthorised sites rose by 1,080 across England.

The Conservatives have now rolled out a five-point plan to "end the two-tier treatment of travellers and ensure equality under the law for all communities".

Labour and former Attorney General Lord Hermer were accused of having "capitulated to Strasbourg's diktats" by the Conservatives by introducing a three-month no-return period for travellers.

This is "effectively useless", because travellers can "simply rotate around a handful of sites in any given area", the party said.

Under the Tories' five-point plan, police would be given the power to indefinitely ban travellers from encampments and remove travellers if requested by landowners, retrospective planning application abuse would be scrapped, and it would be made an offence to trespass with a vehicle after being directed to leave.

The party said it would "reverse Labour's changes that weaken Green Belt and open countryside protections" and "scrap the ban on removing trespassing travellers if no alternative site is available in the area".

"Kemi Badenoch has been clear that everyone has to play by the same rules, and while we are a multiracial country, we should not be multicultural," a party spokesman said.

"The authorities cannot shy away from enforcing those rules for fear of being accused of racism. The Conservatives are on the side of the vast majority who follow the rules, and we will back them by ensuring that those who break the law are punished."

Earlier this year, Sir James Cleverly visited a traveller site in his constituency and accused them of "gaming the system" in an "illegal" land grab.

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The Shadow Communities Secretary said: "Communities across our country are forced to put up with lawbreaking by a small minority of travellers.

"In some areas, illegal sites and unauthorised development of legal sites is having a major negative impact on the local population, and residents feel abandoned.

"Police and local councils need our backing to intervene and take robust action without fearing they will be tripped up by activist lawfare.

"With new freedoms gained by leaving the ECHR, we will end the soft-touch approach favoured by Labour and ensure everyone is treated equally under the law."

And Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "Those who break the rules must be punished. That is a basic principle that must apply equally to all communities.

"Yet a small minority of travellers are getting away with things we would never tolerate among the wider population. It’s time for tough action to get this problem under control.

"Our plan will give the authorities the backing they need to crack down on traveller lawbreaking, putting local residents first and ensuring equality before the law. We are the only Party with the leadership and the viable plan to do that."

A Labour spokesman said: "The Tories left our planning system in a mess. Not only has this Labour Government put in place incredibly strong safeguards for developments in the green belt, we are also ensuring that there is a clearer and more consistent approach to planning, helping to deliver the housing our country desperately needs.

"Leaving the ECHR would destroy the partnerships we rely on to remove those who arrive here illegally, making it harder to deport illegal migrants. It’s utter nonsense from the Conservatives.

"With Andy Burnham’s leadership, this Labour Government is focused on solving problems, bringing back hope and getting Britain believing again."

Donald Trump has hit back after the BBC failed to subpoena his family.

The President accused the broadcaster of harassment in its attempts to serve legal papers to force Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner to testify in the President's $10billion defamation lawsuit.

After multiple failed attempts to serve Mr Trump's family, the BBC is now appealing to the courts for an alternative method to serve the court documents.

A spokesman for Mr Trump's legal told The Telegraph: "The BBC intentionally defamed President Donald J Trump, and now the BBC is seeking to harass him, his family, and supporters by abusing the deposition process.

"The BBC is simply trying to distract away from their own obvious liability."

Mr Trump's is seeking $10billion (£7.4billion) against the broadcaster for damages to his "brand, properties and business" after sections of his January 6 speech in a Panorama documentary were spliced together.

The editing made it seem as if he was advocating for his supporters to storm the Capitol, when in fact, he was asking supporters to demonstrate peacefully.

The statement from the President's legal team follows revelations the BBC failed to serve his family members at several locations, including outside Trump Tower.

The broadcaster claims all three family members have "personal knowledge and likely have possession, custody, or control of records relevant to multiple elements of Plaintiff’s claims against the BBC", according to court documents filed in the US District Court in Florida on Friday.

But the broadcaster has been thwarted by the US Secret Service, which protects the family members of the President.

The BBC attempted to subpoena Mr Trump Jr, in New York's Trump Tower, but failed after being told the "legal department" was not in.

A separate incident to serve him was stopped by the Trump Tower's security team.

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The BBC also attempted to serve Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Mr Kushner, at their home in Florida but were blocked by law enforcement.

In the US, subpoenas must be delivered in-person, hand-to-hand, unless an exception from the court is granted.

The BBC has now asked for alternative methods to serve the subpoenas through methods including email, mail and notice to the witnesses' lawyers.

The broadcaster has attempted to have the case thrown out, challenging the jurisdiction of Florida courts, arguing it never aired in the state.

Former BBC insider John Mair previously told GB News that Donald Trump had "no case".

But earlier this week, the broadcaster's internal analytics revealed it had been played at least 34 times in the state.

The BBC has also requested some of the President's financial records to be turned over in a motion which has been paused.

A trial date has been set for February 2027 in Florida.

Reform UK's plan to overhaul Britain's "bloated" welfare system has been backed by local councillor Jaymey McIvor.

Speaking to GB News, the party's representative for Essex County Council declared that Reform is the "only party" prepared to "save the country" from a "fiscal emergency".

Reform UK's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick has unveiled plans to abolish disability benefits for millions of people as part of the party's bid to save £50billion a year.

Mr Jenrick will set out his proposals on Monday in a 50-page paper called Making Welfare Work, arguing that the current system is driven by "suicidal empathy" and is in need of its "biggest overhaul in a generation".

Throwing his support behind Mr Jenrick's proposed plan, Mr McIvor told GB News that Reform UK is the only party "brave enough" to lay down the "facts" of the welfare system.

He said: "I think Reform is the only party brave enough to actually spell out the facts here, which is that we have a real fiscal emergency in this country whereby the state is so bloated, and it's particularly bloated when it comes to welfare.

"And what Robert Jenrick is going to set out is, how are we going to deal with that? All the other parties have basically tried and failed or in the case of Labour, now have no intention of doing it."

Mr McIvor made clear that a Reform Government would "call time on the people that are taking the mick out of the system".

He explained: "Imagine a street with two houses. You have one house where everybody goes to work and they drop their children at school, perhaps they get Nan or Grandad there to do babysitting because they can't afford childcare.

"And then in a house next door, you can have a home where they're not working and they're on lots of benefits, but they're deliberately avoiding getting a job and the Government are paying for them to have a car on the drive.

"Yet despite that, the local authority are picking their children up and taking them to school and back, which is all being funded by the taxation of all the other people in the community that work, so the problem is the system is completely broken."

The Reform councillor made clear: "First of all, we're going to call time on the people that are taking mick out of the system. Secondly, let's make sure that the people that genuinely need support get support.

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"And thirdly, let's make sure that we can actually get our country's finances in order start paying for things that we really need, whether that's defence, whether that's making sure that we're able to provide children with world class education, making sure our infrastructure is there to cope with our population, whatever it is that the British people see as a priority."

Mr McIvor expressed outrage that so much taxpayer money is going "down the drain" due to the surging benefits bill.

He told GB News: "It's the British people's money that is being sent down the drain, and much of it is going into the bank accounts of people that should be working.

"I think we can all agree the best thing for people's mental health is to have purpose, and with a job and with an income comes purpose."

Challenged by host Dawn Neesom, Mr McIvor was pressed on how Reform's system would ensure that Britons on "genuine" benefits continue to receive their payments.

He assured: "I'm sure many GB News viewers, if they are in receipt of welfare, will be frustrated by the fact that there are people that do cheat the system, because many of your viewers are obviously not cheating the system.

"But let's be very clear, this is a very significant policy. Let's make no mistake, though, if we fail to deal with this problem, we will have a fiscal emergency, which will frankly be a disaster for anybody, whether you're working or in receipt of welfare.

"You can only provide welfare for people if there's money in the coffers to send to those people, and the way the country is going at the moment, the way our economy is going, the Tories wrecked it and the Labour Party have accelerated that destruction.

"We are in a situation where there'll be a time, if something's not done, where nobody's going to get anything, and that includes other state departments."

Reform UK board member Gawain Towler has dismissed the potential pact between Reform UK and Restore Britain proposed by Rupert Lowe as "absurd".

Speaking to GB News, Mr Towler said: "The performative performance by Rupert when he put that video out and it even had the sort of Werther's Original tinkling music in the background, which made me smile.

"But the point was, he was making demands that were absurd from his position. He wanted to decide who our first team were, it was that crackers. But Nigel did respond, he texted him and there was silence."

WATCH ABOVE.

The chair of Piddington Parish Council has said accused the Government of failing to consult local people and is "forcing" them to accept a camp for migrants in their community.

Speaking to GB News, Tim McNally stressed that preparation has already begun for the camp with "no consultation", and before a security review has taken place.

The tiny village near Bicester in Oxfordshire has been earmarked to house 1,250 migrants in a former MoD base, which currently has no water, electricity or living quarters.

The Piddington community has a small population of just 350 people, and has no pub, shops or local amenities for the asylum seekers to use.

Sharing the latest update on the protest by the villagers, Mr McNally told GB News: "I've been approached by every single media outlet on this earth. They've been able to call me, they've been able to e-mail me, but I've had zero from No10 in terms of how we're getting on.

"Piddington is basically the tip of the spear for this entire subject across this nation. I've had to use the branding of Piddington to basically help people understand, yes, we formalise this as an environment, but we've got to do this across the whole of the nation because it's not just about Piddington, it's about how the Government is going to treat its people without consideration."

The villagers are also holding a referendum on self-determination in September, in further protest against the camp.

The council chair explained: "The referendum will happen on the September 15, which coincidentally is on the same day as the anniversary for the Battle of Britain, and at the time I didn't realise, but my goodness, how things align when things are good."

Mr McNally criticised the Government for going ahead with the plans despite "no consultation" with residents, and "forcing" the camp on them.

He said: "They're forcing this through so that no one can be consulted, even the police haven't been consulted on this matter. They're moving the pods in next week and they haven't even published the proposal, that doesn't make sense.

"We've got resources coming in, electric, water, sewage have been ready to be plumbed in from the First of September. I'm finding all of this out - not from the Government - they're just not looking after us, but no one's coming to us and saying 'you need to prepare for this'."

Having visited another migrant camp in Wethersfield, Mr McNally questioned whether the villagers need to "build compounds" around their homes to keep them safe.

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He stressed: "We haven't done a security review for the village. Have we got to put a compound around our home?

"Having been to Wethersfield and heard those people who said these men are basically walking through their properties at four in the morning, what on earth are we doing to our communities?"

Mr McNally continued: "We're happy to take our fair share, absolutely, send two migrants to us and that represents a percentage of our community. 1,250 migrants to us is a 350 per cent increase of our community.

"It's about proportionality. We're not shy of taking our responsibility and helping people out and and helping them forward. What we're shy about is the fact that how are they going to assimilate into our community?

"How are 1,250 men going to assimilate into our community? I think we're going to have to assimilate into theirs, that's what's happening here now as a consequence."

Mr McNally concluded: "I'm just going to say to you, the Government better listen. MPs had better listen. The 15th of September is our referendum day, but watch how many others come with us."

In a statement, a Home Office spokesman told GB News: "The Home Office maintains that discussions about the site remain in early stages and will include engagement with local stakeholders and communities.

"The Government argues that the plan to move migrants to military sites is fairer because it takes the burden off poorer communities where many asylum seekers are currently housed in hotels."

GB News host Camilla Tominey has grilled Mark Francois on why he is "wasting his time" attacking Reform UK instead of the "socialist Government".

Appearing on the People's Channel, Mr Francois was asked "what are you playing at" amid the party's failure to "unite the right" and scrutinise the current Labour Government.

Highlighting the recent Clacton by-election, in which Reform leader Nigel Farage secured a second victory, the Shadow Defence Secretary was pressed on how it was once a "safe seat" for the Tories.

She told the Tory MP: "This was once a true blue Tory seat, it was covered in blue rosettes. You're in Rayleigh in Essex, you know this territory like the back of your hand, and you've lost it and you've lost it to Reform because you simply weren't Conservative enough.

"Why are you wasting all your time attacking Reform when you should be attacking this socialist Labour Government?"

Mr Francois hit back: "In fairness, we've forced 16 U-turns out of a Labour Government, and I think we put up such strong opposition to a Labour Government that the Labour backbenchers panicked and ditched their own Prime Minister.

"So I think a reasonable person would say we've been putting up quite a good fight, bearing in mind we're outnumbered four to one day to day."

Criticising Reform, Mr Francois argued that members of the party are "hardly there" in Parliament to join debates against the Government's actions.

He said: "If you look at defence as my own particular specialist interest, when we debate defence in the House of Commons Reform are hardly ever there.

"Reform don't do defence, so I actually think I actually think we're putting up quite a firm fight."

Interjecting Mr Francois, Camilla reiterated her point: "There's a fight on the right, and this is the problem, Mark. We're now talking about should Andy Burnham have a snap election, and there's a number of reasons why he might want to consider that.

"The Burnham bounce, he's overtaken Reform in the polls for the first time in months for Labour, and the other reason he might want to have a election is because the right is divided."

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Camilla added: "More than half of the country appear to be right wing in one direction - Tories, Reform, Restore - and you're all fighting like rats in a sack?"

Mr Francois told GB News: "My mother was Italian, so according to Restore, I'm not properly British.

"Winston Churchill's mother Jenny Tarrone was an American, so according to their logic he wasn't properly British, even though he's probably the greatest Briton that ever lived.

"So I'm not going to get in the middle of the sort of Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe psychodrama."

Hitting back at the Tory MP, Camilla argued: "But you're in it a little bit because you gave Rupert Lowe that seat on the Select Committee. Do you regret doing that now?"

He said: "Why on earth would any party, a party that's now doing better in the polls under a new leadership, want to go into some kind of an alliance with another party like Reform whose sworn aim, repeated by Nigel Farage on many occasions, is to destroy the Conservative Party?

"Something which, if you look at the polls, he has palpably failed to do. One minute some of them they want to work with us, the next minute they want to destroy us.

"So I cannot realistically see anything happening in the current environment. And in the meantime, we're getting on with opposing Labour and we ain't doing too badly at it."

Rapists and child sex offenders are set to be tagged with GPS for a year following their release from prison, in what is being labelled a “game-changing” £700million investment.

Upon completion of their full prison term, offenders will face 24/7 real-time GPS tracking for at least a year.

Under current rules, probation staff have had to request location information from an electronic monitoring provider.

The new rules now mean that staff can access location data within minutes.

The technology is already in use in London and is set to be rolled out nationally by the end of this year.

The new plans also include random drug testing for 1,000 offenders each month, as well as giving probation staff the powers to ban offenders from driving or attending pubs and events, such as football matches.

There are also plans to send offenders push notifications should they begin to get close to a boundary to allow for immediate warnings to be given.

Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Norris, said: “Dangerous offenders should be under no illusion – if they break the rules we will know about it and put them behind bars.

“That’s why I’m launching the biggest expansion of tagging in British history, putting more criminals than ever under constant surveillance.

“And we’re backing our probation officers with new tech to act fast when offenders step out of line.

“That means tough punishment in the community, victims put front and centre and a probation service focused on what matters most – keeping the public safe.”

Senior Probation Officer Amy Hughes said: “This is a real game changer for us. Previously, if we needed to check where someone had been, getting that information could take time.

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“Now we can get a much clearer picture of their movements quickly and easily.

“It makes the day-to-day job simpler, but more importantly it gives you greater confidence that you can spot when something isn’t right.

“If someone’s behaviour is changing or their risk looks like it might be escalating, having that information at your fingertips helps you join the dots much sooner and take action before things potentially become more serious.”

The additions form part of a wider £700million investment from the Government which will see an additional 1.300 probation officers set to be employed.

It comes as the Justice Secretary is set to find a way to keep PC Andrew Harper’s killers behind bars.

Downing Street admitted it was “not possible” to exempt “one or two offenders” convicted of manslaughter from the early release scheme.

No10 insisted Prime Minister Andy Burnham is “far from accepting the situation" but seemingly moved away from the prospect of an imminent carve-out to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers behind bars.”

Cole and Bowers, who were jailed for 13 years each for killing PC Andrew Harper in 2019, are among the prisoners who are set to be set free early as new Government plans come into play, releasing 5,000 criminals prematurely over a 10-month period.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Labour MP Alex Ballinger has been grilled by host Camilla Tominey in a fiery GB News clash over Andy Burnham's plans to house illegal migrants in "middle class" areas.

Defending the plans, the member for Halesowen told the People's Channel Andy Burnham's plan is "all about making sure the burden is shared fairly across the country".

Disagreeing with Mr Ballinger, Camilla argued: "But it's going to be more expensive, and he said it might be more expensive. Basically he's engaging in a form of class warfare.

"He's the king of the North, he wants to make sure that we're all levelled up, the South must also suffer. What's he trying to do, spread the suffering?"

Mr Ballinger responded: "I don't think that's accurate, but he is right that the poorest areas shouldn't face the full burden of housing asylum seekers."

Camilla then hit back: "The Prime Minister was told it could cost more to push migrants into middle class areas, and he said, yes, it might, but we still need to do it. So he's prioritising a degree of class warfare over economic literacy?"

The MP disagreed, telling GB News: "I don't think he's doing anything to do with class warfare, I think it's all about making sure the burden is shared fairly across the country. We should be looking at putting them in the most appropriate accommodation."

Camilla interjected, asking: "Even if it costs the taxpayer more?"

He said: "I mean, cost is a factor, but fairness is also a factor."

Camilla then argued: "Well, hang on, it's not going to be fair? First of all, it's not fair according to the taxpayer to fund people who have come here illegally.

"Second of all, it's not fair to burden the taxpayer with a higher bill simply so Andy Burnham can flex his levelling up muscles. It's class warfare, isn't it?"

Disagreeing with Camilla, Mr Ballinger defended the plans further: "I think you're mischaracterising it. The poorest areas shouldn't face the full burden.

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"And I think if you go and speak to people in the poorer areas that have many asylum hotels that we're now closing, they will agree with you."

Camilla then told the Labour MP: "But I thought the Government was grappling with the cost of living crisis? I thought the Treasury was struggling to find money for our defences, but now you're saying you're happy to spend more money just to make some kind of class point?

"The Prime Minister himself has accepted it might cost more money to house the migrants in so-called nicer areas, but he wants to do it anyway because he's trying to prove some kind of King of the North point. He's either trying to prove a class point or he's trying to spread misery across the country. Which is it?"

Mr Ballinger assured: "I think it's appropriate, as we're doing, to move people out of town centres and into military accommodation."

Turning to his own constituency of Halesowen, Camilla grilled Mr Ballinger on how many asylum seekers "he would welcome into his constituency".

He responded: "We've just closed the final migrant hotel in Dudley earlier this year, that was one of the successes of the Government, and it was very unpopular."

Challenging him a second time, Camilla asked the MP: "Answer my question Alex. How many migrants are you willing to take in your constituency?"

Mr Ballinger concluded: "If we had a disused military barracks in my constituency that was the most appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers, I would be the first person to say that is where we should be."

Richard Tice has declared we "cannot be complacent" when it comes to the safety of political figures amid "increasing concerns" for Reform UK members.

Speaking to GB News, the Deputy Leader of the party admitted he has personally received death threats, and it is "difficult" for "disruptive politics" in the current climate.

After increasing concerns from Reform UK members about their safety, GB News presenter Patrick Christys has opened up about the threats he has faced after exposing the people trafficker trade in France.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Patrick recalled being ordered by police to abandon his home with his then-pregnant wife Emily Carver in the early hours of the morning.

He said: "These human traffickers wanted to kill me in my own home while my wife was eight months pregnant.

"Who knows if they'd have tried to harm my wife and son in order to get to me? It makes me incredibly angry that we let illegals into the country – who we all pay for. Then we let those same people make millions of pounds trafficking yet more illegals to Britain.

"They feel so emboldened, they thought they could kill a TV journalist in his own home and get away with it."

Reacting to Patrick's story, Mr Tice said it is "very distressing" to hear the level of threat aimed at him and his family.

Mr Tice told GB News: "I saw that piece, it was very distressing about Patrick. And look, sadly, we have been increasingly concerned throughout the last two or so months, actually even before the horror of Ann Widdecombe's murder.

"So it's not easy, let's just put it like that. But we have to we have to just push on and operate in a slightly different way to that which we've previously operated."

Asked by host Dawn Neesom if he has personally received death threats, the Reform deputy leader admitted: "Regrettably, yes, and I'm not alone in that.

"Nigel's obviously, sadly, had the most as has previously been revealed. It's a difficult place in the world of disruptive politics at the moment."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Reform to rethink welfare by scrapping £50billion from ballooning budget
• Andy Burnham set to overtake Nigel Farage as TikTok's most effective politician
• Reform vows to end hosepipe bans for good with plan to revolutionise Britain's reservoirs

Highlighting the group of masked protesters at the recent by-election in Clacton, Dawn pressed Mr Tice on whether he believes the security of Reform UK members is being taken "seriously enough".

He responded: "The authorities are now taking it a lot more seriously than they previously were, and we're obviously grateful for that.

"But no one can be complacent, and unfortunately, there are some people out there who think and do carry out bad acts, and we have to respond to that.

"But we're optimistic that the authorities are learning from where things haven't been done properly and done well in the past."

Turning to Reform UK policy, Mr Tice was questioned on the party's plans to overhaul the welfare system and scrap "key benefits" to save "£50billion a year".

He explained: "We want a world-leading benefit system to look after those who genuinely need benefits. But the reality is that in recent years, it's become too easy for people to claim benefits and get trapped on benefits when actually they need to be working.

"And when you've had sort of online assessments and people claiming benefits for anxiety, for mental health issues, the best way to cure mental health and anxiety is to get busy, get busy, go to work, have a structure to your life, and there are tens of billions of pounds that can be saved every year.

"We've got some six million people on out of work benefits. We're saying around about three million should be working and contributing, and that's the right way for us to function as a as a country."

More than 100 migrants have been detained after they attempted to break into Ceuta during a second wave of mass crossings.

Moroccan police arrested 111 people as they tried to enter the Spanish exclave in North Africa, including 109 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

Another two Moroccan citizens were arrested in the nearby Moroccan city of Fnideq.

The initial crossing last month saw more than 72,000 illegal immigrants storm the border on July 30 in what was dubbed the single largest illegal influx into the European Union.

At least 88 of those making the first crossing died, either from drowning or being crushed in the chaos engulfing the exclave.

Yesterday, police donning riot gear deployed tear gas to disperse the groups sitting atop hills around 3km from the Spanish border.

Spanish media revealed that journalists in Fnideq were instructed to leave the city "immediately" by Morocco's interior ministry, giving no reason as to why.

"We’ll continue to deploy whatever personnel are necessary to restore normality as soon as possible and prevent events like those of 30 July from happening again,” Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said on Thursday.

In shared footage, groups of officers could be seen escorting migrants from the area on top of the hills.

Over in the city of Ceuta, Spanish troops were stationed outside supermarkets while police forces roamed the streets in a bid to stop a repeat of the mass crossing.

Some 5,000 migrants have remained in the Spanish exclave since flooding the border in July.

However, the number of those who have actually stayed in the region and were not returned is debated across EU member states.

LATEST FROM CEUTA:

• Second wave of Ceuta invasion BLOCKED as armed police put end to migrant raid
• EU civil war explodes as Italian foreign minister blasts 'disproportionate' response to crisis
• Migrant plunges to his death from mountain while trying to paraglide his way into Ceuta

The same incident triggered a fiery spat between Spain and Italy, as Giorgia Meloni raised concerns over border security.

On July 31, the Italian Prime Minister threatened to suspend the Schengen Zone with Italy, ending free movement between the two countries.

"The images coming from Ceuta are striking and demonstrate, once again, that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe's borders," she said.

Moroccan authorities have stayed on high alert as they monitored social media posts goading on individuals to carry out a second mass crossing yesterday.

Officials warned they would prosecute the organisers and participants of such a campaign.

Since the first storming of the borders, the Spanish military as well as extra police forces were pulled in to protect the area from illegal arrivals.

In Ceuta, there are now more than 1,600 officers to protect the Spanish city with a population of 80,000.

In the days following the mass crossing on July 30, the majority of illegal arrivals were returned to Morocco.

Andy Burnham is set to surpass Nigel Farage as the most effective politician on TikTok by Christmas, according to new analysis.

Since entering Number 10, the Prime Minister's strategy has been branded "government by TikTok", collaborating with influencers to announce policy and discuss his personal life.

Mr Burnham has gained over 450,000 followers on the platform since launching his account in May, posting 186 times.

This marks a clear change in approach from his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, who has racked up 111 posts so far this year.

Mr Farage is the most followed British politician on TikTok, but the Prime Minister has seen a recent surge in reach.

In July, Mr Burnham amassed more than six times as many views as the Reform UK leader, with new research by Knox Digital suggesting his social media presence is set to continue growing.

The study examined the virality, frequency and engagement of content to rank individual politicians by overall effectiveness.

Former government special adviser Laura Wright, now a partner at Knox, explained the findings, speaking exclusively to GB News.

"This is government by TikTok… viewers like Burnham's content, they're engaging with it, and interestingly, he's pulled up Labour's overall engagement too.

"Clearly, he and his team realise that TikTok is the most important social media platform where you have a captive audience. It’s the best way to communicate with the electorate."

Despite this, new data shows that Reform UK is still the most efficient political party on the app, averaging three times as many views per post as Labour in July.

Ms Wright explained the significance of politicians utilising the app effectively: "Over 10 per cent of UK adults consume their news on TikTok, and the platform has screen time an average of an hour and a half a day. If people see your content and they think you're likeable….they're more likely to put an X for you in the ballot box."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Farmer tears into Andy Burnham's £65million support package after driest July on record: 'Too late!'
• Labour accused of 'catastrophic own goal' over plans to slash electric car targets
• Andy Burnham issues dire warning as nation tackles wildfires: ‘Britain is a tinderbox right now’

Data shows the impact Number 10’s fresh communication style has had on the Green Party.

Since Mr Burnham became Prime Minister, the average views per post by Zack Polanski's outfit have slumped by around 30 per cent.

Ms Wright also explained that the Prime Minister’s collaboration with well-known influencers is unusual.

“What has been really significant for Andy Burnham, is that he has unapologetically leaned into collaborating with influencers.

"We have seen from the time he has taken to sit down with some high profile content creators, that he values that more than mainstream media."

Last week, the Times newspaper reported that Downing Street's social media experts warned the Prime Minister to tone down his "blokeish" videos to ensure he was not alienating certain audiences.

A video of Mr Burnham and Chancellor John Healey debating their favourite pub snacks was viewed more than a million times on TikTok.

Home Office minister Anna Turley responded, rejecting the idea that the video projected an uncomfortable laddish energy.

Speaking to LBC she said: "I enjoyed his video on bar snacks. I think he is very authentic. That's who he is and I think people want to see a politician who is who they are... our communication has gone up substantially in terms of being authentic and reaching people."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will look at issues "ignored by Westminster for too long" during the second week of his summer tour of the UK.

These issues include ending rough sleeping and resolving the "toxic dump, fly-tipping and environmental vandalism scandal".

Mr Burnham will also be at Number 10 North during the week, marking a month since it was established.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister wants to bring back hope that we can finally fix the difficult issues facing the country that have been ignored by Westminster for too long.

"This includes taking on issues that others have said are intractable, like ending rough sleeping and resolving the toxic dump, fly-tipping and environmental vandalism scandal that is blighting communities across the UK.

"The coming week will see the Prime Minister take on some of these issues as he continues his tour around the UK, which will inform his upcoming 10-year plan to make Britain better off."

In his first week of travelling around the country, the Prime Minister visited Derbyshire, the West Midlands, Devon, and Cornwall to hear from local people and businesses.

He also announced a series of policies, including "easy to exit" rules to help consumers cancel subscriptions and a ban on retailers making misleading claims about discounts.

Mr Burnham said he would also give councils new powers to block vape and betting shops in a bid to save Britain’s "hollowed-out high streets".

The Prime Minister chaired a Cobra meeting to discuss efforts to deal with the extreme heat conditions across the UK, announced support for farmers to help manage drought pressures, and visited families affected by wildfires in the West Midlands.

In his very first speech as Prime Minister, Mr Burnham vowed to eradicate rough sleeping.

But he isn't the first person in No10 to make the pledge - Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer both pledged to cut rough sleeping while in office.

LATEST ON ANDY BURNHAM:

• Andy Burnham branded 'out of touch' as farmer launches furious tirade over £65million boost: 'Too late!'
• Andy Burnham calls for 'moment of reflection' as he issues statement on Jason Arday's death
• Andy Burnham braces for right-wing council rebellion over 'play your part' illegal migrant housing plan

And rough sleeping has steadily risen, with an estimated 4,793 people sleeping on the streets in a single night last autumn, according to Government figures released in February.

Mr Burnham visited locations connected with the ongoing heatwaves in his first week touring the UK.

On Saturday, he visited a family-run potato farm near Truro, Cornwall, admitting the Government had a "long way to go to build back trust" with British farmers.

He also visited Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where 54 people were left injured as a result of the "apocalyptic" wildfires.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said 19 houses had been destroyed and 18 damaged.

Ongoing wildfires in south Wales have forced the Prime Minister to call in over 100 military personnel to assist firefighters and emergency workers.

In a statement, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said "specialist resources including a helicopter and expert tactical advisors" had been deployed to several incidents.

On Friday, he visited the Met Office in Exeter and viewed a weather map which played a critical role in the timing of D-Day.

Paedophiles will avoid jail under Labour's new sentencing laws.

Offenders who would have a year in jail for offences including possession of child abuse images or historical child abuse are walking free.

Under the Sentencing Act 2026, introduced to relieve prison overcrowding, almost all sentences of 12 months or less are suspended.

Former Justice Secretary David Lammy said the country would be made safer by keeping low-level offenders in the community.

But several cases of serious offenders who could have spent more than a year behind bars have now been identified.

The revelations follow criticism of Andy Burnham's handling of the early release scheme.

In one case, identified by The Telegraph, Callum Powell, 34, avoided prison after possessing almost 3,000 indecent images of children.

Powell, who also appeared on a parkour YouTube channel to over 11 million subscribers, possessed 178 category A images, which depict the most serious forms of abuse.

District Judge Amanda Kelly, sentencing, said the case was so serious "only a custodial sentence could be justified".

This resulted in Powell receiving an 18-month prison sentence, but his early guilty plea cut it down exactly 12 months, allowing him to walk free.

District Judge Kelly said: "Some may find it difficult to understand why offending of such a repugnant nature does not result in immediate imprisonment.

"However, judges do not sentence according to personal opinion, public pressure or public outrage. They sentence according to the law enacted by Parliament and the sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council."

LABOUR'S PRISON SCHEME - READ MORE:

• Andy Burnham urged to 'rapidly expand prison capacity' amid outrage over PC Andrew Harper's killers
• Andy Burnham blasted as almost 2,000 prison cells sit empty amid capacity crisis: 'Staggering!'
• Petition to block early prison release of PC Andrew Harper's killers hits 1 million signatures

Some exemptions to the Sentencing Act are in place, but these could not be applied to Powell.

District Judge Kelly admitted that while his offences were "truly abhorrent", he could not be legally exempted.

In another case, Clint Barnes, 56, walked free after being convicted of historical child abuse dating back to three indecent assaults against a boy under 16 in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Judge Stephen Climie, sentencing him on May 6, said he was forced to suspend his sentence.

"I don't deal with the legislation, I have to apply it, and for those reasons, and only those reasons, as this is a case which last year I would have sent you to custody immediately for 12 months, I suspend that for the next two years," he told the defendant.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "Public protection is our priority, and judges will always have the power to send offenders to prison when deemed necessary. Community sentences can also include tough requirements like curfews, tagging and exclusion zones – offenders who breach them can be jailed.

"The Sentencing Act is restoring order to a prison system left on the brink of collapse, while our record £700m investment in probation and community punishment is ensuring staff have the resources, powers and technology they need to manage offenders safely in the community."

The spokesman also said the law creates new provisions for courts to ban offenders from attending pubs, bars and clubs, as well as public events such as sports and concerts and to prohibit offenders from driving.

Paedophiles will avoid jail under Labour's new sentencing laws.

Offenders who would have a year in jail for offences including possession of child abuse images or historical child abuse are walking free.

Under the Sentencing Act 2026, introduced to relieve prison overcrowding, almost all sentences of 12 months or less are suspended.

Former Justice Secretary David Lammy said the country would be made safer by keeping low-level offenders in the community.

But several cases of serious offenders who could have spent more than a year behind bars have now been identified.

The revelations follow criticism of Andy Burnham's handling of the early release scheme.

In one case, identified by The Telegraph, Callum Powell, 34, avoided prison after possessing almost 3,000 indecent images of children.

Powell, who also appeared on a parkour YouTube channel to over 11 million subscribers, possessed 178 category A images, which depict the most serious forms of abuse.

District Judge Amanda Kelly, sentencing, said the case was so serious "only a custodial sentence could be justified".

This resulted in Powell receiving an 18-month prison sentence, but his early guilty plea cut it down exactly 12 months, allowing him to walk free.

District Judge Kelly said: "Some may find it difficult to understand why offending of such a repugnant nature does not result in immediate imprisonment.

"However, judges do not sentence according to personal opinion, public pressure or public outrage. They sentence according to the law enacted by Parliament and the sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council."

LABOUR'S PRISON SCHEME - READ MORE:

• Andy Burnham urged to 'rapidly expand prison capacity' amid outrage over PC Andrew Harper's killers
• Andy Burnham blasted as almost 2,000 prison cells sit empty amid capacity crisis: 'Staggering!'
• Petition to block early prison release of PC Andrew Harper's killers hits 1 million signatures

Some exemptions to the Sentencing Act are in place, but these could not be applied to Powell.

District Judge Kelly admitted that while his offences were "truly abhorrent", he could not be legally exempted.

In another case, Clint Barnes, 56, walked free after being convicted of historical child abuse dating back to three indecent assaults against a boy under 16 in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Judge Stephen Climie, sentencing him on May 6, said he was forced to suspend his sentence.

"I don't deal with the legislation, I have to apply it, and for those reasons, and only those reasons, as this is a case which last year I would have sent you to custody immediately for 12 months, I suspend that for the next two years," he told the defendant.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "Public protection is our priority, and judges will always have the power to send offenders to prison when deemed necessary. Community sentences can also include tough requirements like curfews, tagging and exclusion zones – offenders who breach them can be jailed.

"The Sentencing Act is restoring order to a prison system left on the brink of collapse, while our record £700m investment in probation and community punishment is ensuring staff have the resources, powers and technology they need to manage offenders safely in the community."

The spokesman also said the law creates new provisions for courts to ban offenders from attending pubs, bars and clubs, as well as public events such as sports and concerts and to prohibit offenders from driving.

Andy Burnham is set to surpass Nigel Farage as the most effective politician on TikTok by Christmas, according to new analysis.

Since entering Number 10, the Prime Minister's strategy has been branded "government by TikTok", collaborating with influencers to announce policy and discuss his personal life.

Mr Burnham has gained over 450,000 followers on the platform since launching his account in May, posting 186 times.

This marks a clear change in approach from his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, who has racked up 111 posts so far this year.

Mr Farage is the most followed British politician on TikTok, but the Prime Minister has seen a recent surge in reach.

In July, Mr Burnham amassed more than six times as many views as the Reform UK leader, with new research by Knox Digital suggesting his social media presence is set to continue growing.

The study examined the virality, frequency and engagement of content to rank individual politicians by overall effectiveness.

Former government special adviser Laura Wright, now a partner at Knox, explained the findings, speaking exclusively to GB News.

"This is government by TikTok… viewers like Burnham's content, they're engaging with it, and interestingly, he's pulled up Labour's overall engagement too.

"Clearly, he and his team realise that TikTok is the most important social media platform where you have a captive audience. It’s the best way to communicate with the electorate."

Despite this, new data shows that Reform UK is still the most efficient political party on the app, averaging three times as many views per post as Labour in July.

Ms Wright explained the significance of politicians utilising the app effectively: "Over 10 per cent of UK adults consume their news on TikTok, and the platform has screen time an average of an hour and a half a day. If people see your content and they think you're likeable….they're more likely to put an X for you in the ballot box."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Farmer tears into Andy Burnham's £65million support package after driest July on record: 'Too late!'
• Labour accused of 'catastrophic own goal' over plans to slash electric car targets
• Andy Burnham issues dire warning as nation tackles wildfires: ‘Britain is a tinderbox right now’

Data shows the impact Number 10’s fresh communication style has had on the Green Party.

Since Mr Burnham became Prime Minister, the average views per post by Zack Polanski's outfit have slumped by around 30 per cent.

Ms Wright also explained that the Prime Minister’s collaboration with well-known influencers is unusual.

“What has been really significant for Andy Burnham, is that he has unapologetically leaned into collaborating with influencers.

"We have seen from the time he has taken to sit down with some high profile content creators, that he values that more than mainstream media."

Last week, the Times newspaper reported that Downing Street's social media experts warned the Prime Minister to tone down his "blokeish" videos to ensure he was not alienating certain audiences.

A video of Mr Burnham and Chancellor John Healey debating their favourite pub snacks was viewed more than a million times on TikTok.

Home Office minister Anna Turley responded, rejecting the idea that the video projected an uncomfortable laddish energy.

Speaking to LBC she said: "I enjoyed his video on bar snacks. I think he is very authentic. That's who he is and I think people want to see a politician who is who they are... our communication has gone up substantially in terms of being authentic and reaching people."

Andy Burnham is set to surpass Nigel Farage as the most effective politician on TikTok by Christmas, according to new analysis.

Since entering Number 10, the Prime Minister's strategy has been branded "government by TikTok", collaborating with influencers to announce policy and discuss his personal life.

Mr Burnham has gained over 450,000 followers on the platform since launching his account in May, posting 186 times.

This marks a clear change in approach from his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, who has racked up 111 posts so far this year.

Mr Farage is the most followed British politician on TikTok, but the Prime Minister has seen a recent surge in reach.

In July, Mr Burnham amassed more than six times as many views as the Reform UK leader, with new research by Knox Digital suggesting his social media presence is set to continue growing.

The study examined the virality, frequency and engagement of content to rank individual politicians by overall effectiveness.

Former government special adviser Laura Wright, now a partner at Knox, explained the findings, speaking exclusively to GB News.

"This is government by TikTok… viewers like Burnham's content, they're engaging with it, and interestingly, he's pulled up Labour's overall engagement too.

"Clearly, he and his team realise that TikTok is the most important social media platform where you have a captive audience. It’s the best way to communicate with the electorate."

Despite this, new data shows that Reform UK is still the most efficient political party on the app, averaging three times as many views per post as Labour in July.

Ms Wright explained the significance of politicians utilising the app effectively: "Over 10 per cent of UK adults consume their news on TikTok, and the platform has screen time an average of an hour and a half a day. If people see your content and they think you're likeable….they're more likely to put an X for you in the ballot box."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Farmer tears into Andy Burnham's £65million support package after driest July on record: 'Too late!'
• Labour accused of 'catastrophic own goal' over plans to slash electric car targets
• Andy Burnham issues dire warning as nation tackles wildfires: ‘Britain is a tinderbox right now’

Data shows the impact Number 10’s fresh communication style has had on the Green Party.

Since Mr Burnham became Prime Minister, the average views per post by Zack Polanski's outfit have slumped by around 30 per cent.

Ms Wright also explained that the Prime Minister’s collaboration with well-known influencers is unusual.

“What has been really significant for Andy Burnham, is that he has unapologetically leaned into collaborating with influencers.

"We have seen from the time he has taken to sit down with some high profile content creators, that he values that more than mainstream media."

Last week, the Times newspaper reported that Downing Street's social media experts warned the Prime Minister to tone down his "blokeish" videos to ensure he was not alienating certain audiences.

A video of Mr Burnham and Chancellor John Healey debating their favourite pub snacks was viewed more than a million times on TikTok.

Home Office minister Anna Turley responded, rejecting the idea that the video projected an uncomfortable laddish energy.

Speaking to LBC she said: "I enjoyed his video on bar snacks. I think he is very authentic. That's who he is and I think people want to see a politician who is who they are... our communication has gone up substantially in terms of being authentic and reaching people."

A Reform UK government would redesign welfare and save over £50billion a year by scrapping benefits, Robert Jenrick has said.

Reform UK's Treasury spokesman said his party would introduce the "most comprehensive redesign" of the welfare system, scrapping personal independence payments (Pip) and the health element of Universal Credit for working-age adults.

This reworking of the welfare system would see an estimated 2.89 million Britons have their welfare claims modified or withdrawn, Mr Jenrick said.

The Reform spokesman said Britain's welfare system was "suicidal empathy".

He said his party would replace Pip with a "Health Security Allowance" - a regularly reviewed payment to support only the "gravely ill and severely challenged".

Employers would also be made to pay for a new type of insurance, a "Return to Work Cover", which would cover the cost of the first two years after an employee signed off sick.

Modelled from the Dutch system, this would make employees more "connected" to their employers, who would have a "strong economic incentive" to return Britons to work.

Writing in The Telegraph, he said the scale of the cuts would be "more than double" the Coalition's welfare savings - worth £20.5billion - and the recent Tory proposed cuts totalling £23billion.

Some £22billion of the savings would be made in changes to the disability programme alone, Mr Jenrick said.

And rather than offering cash to those with "lower-level forms of disability", Mr Jenrick said his party would create "Disability Support Accounts".

These would be managed by local authorities and mayors and used to pay for disability-related equipment, home adaptations, transport and personal assistance.

"How services are provided in Herefordshire need not match Haringey," Mr Jenrick said.

REFORM UK - READ MORE:

• Reform vows to end hosepipe bans for good with plan to revolutionise Britain's reservoirs
• Richard Tice brands opponents ‘chickens’ as he addresses chance of second Clacton by-election
• Zia Yusuf tears apart 'conspiring' political rivals after Labour told to stand aside in Clacton

Changes to children's benefits and children's disability allowance for anxiety, depression and ADHD would be looked at by Reform UK.

Reform's full policy will be published on Monday in a 50-page paper titled Making Welfare Work.

The paper is said to be the product of six months of policy work by a team comprising Civil Service whistleblowers and some who worked with Sir Iain Duncan Smith on developing Universal Credit.

Mr Jenrick also slammed the Tories' welfare reform proposals as "paper thin", adding that the policy could have been "written on the back of a fag packet".

The welfare budget is set to rise to £333billion this year, according to the Centre for Social Justice.

But Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately said the criticism from Reform UK was a "half-baked attempt to distract from Farage’s fishy £5million" and "his embarrassing underperformance in his pointless by-election".

She added: "Reform have been nowhere on the debate on welfare reform. They have flip-flopped on restoring the two child benefit cap and claimed they’ll only take benefits away from foreigners, which won’t do enough to bring down the overall bill.

"The Conservatives are on the side of working people and we’re clear about our plans. Restore the two-child benefit cap, end benefits for low level mental health conditions, remove benefits from foreign nationals and restore face-to-face assessments. Only the Conservatives will get Britain working again."

A Labour spokesman called Reform's claim that it could save £50billion "fantasy economics, built on stripping support from disabled people and shifting costs onto employers".

They added: "Labour is already reforming welfare: narrowing the gap between Universal Credit standard and health rates, restoring face-to-face assessments, and investing £3.5 billion in employment support to end the culture of people being signed off and written off.

"We're putting work and opportunity at the heart of the system, with further reform to follow the Milburn and Timms reports. Our reforms deliver credible, independently costed savings, not arbitrary numbers with no credible plan behind them."

Reform UK has vowed to end hosepipe bans for good and outlined plans to revolutionise Britain's reservoirs.

Nigel Farage's party has pledged to scrap the government's water reduction targets, introduced by the Conservatives and continued by Labour.

Prolonged hot weather and record-low rainfall have forced nine water companies to issue Temporary Use Bans as drought conditions now cover over 71 per cent of England.

More than 26 million people in Britain are currently living under a hosepipe ban as the UK experiences its fifth widespread heatwave of the year.

Under these legal restrictions, households cannot use a hosepipe to water gardens, wash vehicles, clean windows, or fill paddling pools.

Violating the ban carries a potential fine of up to £1,000.

Prolonged hot weather and record-low rainfall have forced nine water companies to issue Temporary Use Bans.

Drought conditions now cover over 71 per cent of England.

The regions and companies enforcing hosepipe bans include:

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Water bills set to rise for MILLIONS despite hosepipe bans amid mass drought
• Britons face ban from swimming pools and car washes for first time in 20 years under rare 'drought order'
• Britons using 12 legal loopholes to dodge hosepipe bans as millions told to cut back usage immediately

England has received just 4mm of rain so far in August, or six per cent of the long-term average for the month, the Environment Agency said on Friday.

It follows the driest July on record for the country, when only 7mm of rain was measured, or 10 per cent of the average.

The ongoing dry weather means that reservoir storage for England now stands at 66 per cent, down from 69 per cent a week ago and nearly 14 percentage points below the long-term average for the time of year, the Environment Agency said.

Storage stood at 85 per cent at the end of June, but has fallen steadily in recent weeks.

Five reservoirs are currently classed as having "exceptionally low" levels: Clatworthy in Somerset (48 per cent full); Clywedog in Powys, which provides water for central and north-west England (56 per cent); the Dove group of reservoirs in Derbyshire (69 per cent); Hanningfield in Essex (56 per cent); and Wimbleball in Somerset (46 per cent).

Reform has also pledged to cut the red tape that is holding back the construction of new reservoirs and to build infrastructure to avoid water shortages.

The last large reservoir in England was built in 1992.

The Environment Agency warned last year of a potential 5 billion litres-per-day shortfall in public water supplies by 2055 without urgent action.

On Wednesday, Andy Burnham chaired an emergency Cobra committee meeting to coordinate the government's response to extreme heat.

The Prime Minister then announced a ban on purchasing disposable barbeques, called in the military in a desperate bid to control the situation, and said firefighting planes will be used to combat the spread.

Describing the country as a "tinderbox", Mr Burnham told reporters in Stourbridge: “Britain is a tinderbox right now, and please just have that in your mind.

“We’re going to go into the rest of the weekend… This is not over by any means. We’ve got 37 fires smouldering around the country, so it could be more. So please bear that in mind at all times.”

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Donald Trump has been told to "accept defeat" in the Middle East as senior Iranian officials issue a barrage of defiant statements.

The conflict over the Strait of Hormuz has been ongoing for nearly six months.

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, wrote on X: "The strait will be closed and opened only under Iran’s command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and cease indulging in fantasies, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade.

"Once and for all, accept the reality: Up to this point, you have suffered strategic and heavy defeats; the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, and will remain Iranian."

The country's judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, branded Mr Trump a "fully fledged loser in the hard arena of politics and military combat".

He insisted that "what multibillion-dollar aircraft carriers could not achieve will not be achieved with a few tweets and speeches."

Speaking at a political rally in New York, President Trump struck back.

He said: "After we finish defeating Iran ... pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States."

The prospect of diplomatic progress appears remote.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, claimed that Tehran will not return to the negotiating table unless Washington first meets a series of demands.

These include the payment of an estimated $270billion (£200billion) in war reparations, an end to the US naval blockade, the lifting of economic sanctions, a full withdrawal of American forces from the region, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

Mr Trump has countered with his own conditions, insisting that Iran compensate the US for the deaths of American soldiers and warning that he would impose an "indefinite" naval blockade of the strait.

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• BBC fails to subpoena Donald Trump's family in defamation suit
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• Donald Trump declares ambition to make Strait of Hormuz 'territory of United States' after Iran war

The economic toll of the conflict is mounting on both sides.

American consumers are contending with elevated fuel costs, while Iranian families face spiralling inflation, making basic necessities such as bread and cooking oil increasingly unaffordable.

Mr Trump urged Americans to tolerate paying "a tiny little bit more for your gasoline", arguing it was a price worth paying to prevent "a very evil country" from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The conflict has also seen major disruption to global shipping.

On Friday, just two vessels made the passage, with no crude oil cargoes among them, according to data from the ship-tracking firm Kpler.

Prior to the conflict, more than 130 ships transited the waterway daily.

The comments come after bombshell details emerged about Mr Trump's extraordinary getaway from an alleged Iranian threat to his life.

It emerged Mr Trump was smuggled away in a catering vehicle onto a waiting plane following last month's Nato summit in Turkey.

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Zia Yusuf has launched a furious tirade on telecommunications company Vodafone after handing out thousands of free sim cards to illegal migrants.

Speaking to GB News, the Reform UK Home Affairs spokesman declared the party will be "relentless at hunting down anybody who aids and abets illegal entry into this country" if they come in power at the next General Election.

It has been revealed that Vodafone handed out 2,500 sim cards to a refugee charity for use by migrants who crossed the English Channel on small boats.

In their annual report, Care4Calais said the free sim cards were distributed to migrants being housed at the Wethersfield migrant camp in Essex.

The Vodafone sim cards were allegedly supplied through an initiative called Charities Connected, designed to help people suffering from "digital exclusion" and would benefit from six months of free data, calls and texts.

Criticising the company, Mr Yusuf detailed plans to implement Polanski's Law, which would "hold directors personally liable for aiding and abetting the invasion of Britain".

He fumed: "I think the British people are rightly outraged that a company of the size and scale of Vodafone is handing out sim cards to military aged men who they know are breaking into Britain. That is precisely what Vodafone have been doing.

"That is aiding and abetting illegal entry to Britain, that is putting British women and girls in danger. We know British women and girls have been raped sadly on all too regular occurrence by illegal migrants."

Having written to the Chief Executive of Vodafone and the entire board of directors, Mr Yusuf made clear that a Reform Government would make "aiding and abetting illegal entry into the UK a strict liability offence".

He explained: "What that means is a prosecutor does not have to prove intent. They will only have to prove that the that the actions actually happened anywhere inside the organisation, and the result of which, if Vodafone did this thing under a Reform Government, the whole board of directors would go to jail.

"We're not yet in Government, so what I'm also telling them is that unless they cancel those sim cards and assure the British public they will no longer take part in this outrageous act of aiding and abetting the invasion of this country, then a Reform Government will immediately review all of Vodafone's public contracts, of which there are many."

The Reform spokesman also warned that if he was to become Home Secretary, he would take action against all foreign nationals on the board of directors at Vodafone.

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He told GB News: "I'm also more than willing as Home Secretary, under the Immigration Act 1971, all of the foreign nationals on the board of Vodafone, of which there are several, would have their visas revoked.

"They wouldn't be unable to enter the United Kingdom. The era of these gilded elites, operating by their own rules and virtue signalling, at the cost and the misery of hard working British families will soon be over."

Mr Yusuf encouraged GB News viewers who are Vodafone customers to "reconsider" continuing their custom with such an "outrageous" company.

He concluded: "It's an outrageous thing for any company to do, let alone a company the size of Vodafone. I'd encourage, frankly, all of your viewers who currently are customers of Vodafone, given that Vodafone are doubling down, perhaps reconsider whether you want to be a customer in funding this sort of nonsense.

"But I'm afraid the board of directors are directly responsible and they will be held accountable by a Reform Government for their actions."

A Vodafone spokesman said: "VodafoneThree’s programme provides mobile sims to registered UK charities – against strict programme criteria – for distribution to vulnerable people in the UK.

"Participating charities, regulated by the Charity Commission, distribute the six months connectivity to those they identify as being in need. All calls, texts and data are for UK use only."

A Care4Calais spokesman said: "Care4Calais does not hand out sim cards in France, as his recent spate of social media posts have suggested.

"We access sim cards through a charitable scheme, and distribute them to people claiming asylum in the UK who need phones to keep in contact with family and friends, and access support."

Hundreds of migrants have been prevented from breaching the border into Spain's North African exclave of Ceuta.

Moroccan riot police were stationed at the frontier as large crowds assembled in the nearby town of Castillejos, responding to social media appeals urging another surge.

Those who tried to cross were detained and transported away on buses by officers.

The confrontation came just a fortnight after the catastrophic events of July 30, when approximately 72,000 people flooded across the border in what has been called the single largest illegal influx into the European Union.

That earlier crossing claimed at least 88 lives, with victims either drowning or being crushed in the chaos.

While most were subsequently sent back to Morocco, a number remain in the exclave.

Video footage captured crowds of people sprinting towards the border crossing in Castillejos, but Moroccan reinforcements - including armoured vehicles and a surveillance helicopter - ensured no one made it through.

Officers charged at the group and hemmed them in roughly three kilometres from the exclave.

The first attempts began at around 6am today.

On the Spanish side, army troops and armoured vehicles were also positioned along the frontier.

The fresh attempt was sparked by messages spreading across social media platforms.

One widely shared post read: "The Ceuta border will be open on the 15th [of August], a public holiday in Spain."

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All military leave in the territory was cancelled in response.

The crisis on July 30 was precipitated by a Spanish court decision on June 29 that ruled migrants could be turned back from Ceuta only if they had crossed a physical barrier, a provision that did not extend to those arriving by sea.

Madrid blamed criminal networks for spreading disinformation about the ruling, but trade unions representing border staff had sounded the alarm well in advance.

The AUGC Civil Guard Union wrote to Ceuta's police chief on July 23, warning of "constant arrivals by sea" and inadequate infrastructure.

As early as July 10, the union had publicly cautioned that the ruling "has opened a legal loophole which only well-defined protocols can close."

The police union SUOP issued a similar call for reinforcements three days later, demanding a "coherent and effective" immigration policy.

A floating sea barrier was only installed on August 1, the day after the disaster.

Rachid Sbihi, a spokesman for the AUGC in Ceuta, acknowledged that nobody foresaw the sheer scale of what unfolded.

He said: "We understood the ruling would trigger more arrivals. The ruling, the criminal gangs, and social media networks were an explosive cocktail."

Accusations have mounted that Morocco deliberately allowed the crossings amid diplomatic friction with Madrid.

Moroccan officials are understood to be angered by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's pursuit of gas agreements with Algeria, a regional rival.

Rabat employed a similar tactic in 2021, channelling 8,000 people into Ceuta during a dispute over sovereignty in Western Sahara, which ultimately forced a policy reversal by the Spanish government.

The fallout has rippled across the continent, with Rome and Madrid imposing reciprocal border controls.

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Reform UK has accused Vodafone of "facilitating the invasion of Britain" after the mobile phone provider was found to have indirectly supplied free sim cards to illegal migrants.

The telecommunications company, which is one of the largest in the UK, handed out 2,500 sim cards to a refugee charity for use by migrants who crossed the English Channel on small boats.

Care4Calais released its annual report, which revealed the sim cards were distributed to migrants being housed at the Wethersfield migrant camp in Essex.

In a letter addressed to Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone’s chief executive, Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, criticised the British company and suggested that UK customers "will be shocked to hear that their phone or broadband provider is actively endangering British women and girls".

He vowed that a Reform Government would hold directors personally liable for "aiding and abetting the invasion of Britain", referring to the move as Polanski’s Law.

Mr Yusuf wrote: "A Reform UK Government will hold each and every officer and director of Vodafone Group Plc and all relevant subsidiaries personally and criminally liable for distributing sim cards to illegal migrants.

"If found guilty, you would be liable to go to prison. Furthermore, a Reform UK Government will review all public contracts and future contracting with Vodafone and consider further sanctions such as regulatory penalties."

The letter continued: "In particular, if Vodafone is complicit in the invasion of Britain, you should be excluded from all defence, national security and emergency services procurement (and your equipment removed from sensitive networks as soon as possible)."

The Vodafone sim cards were supplied through an initiative called Charities Connected, which was designed to help people suffering from "digital exclusion", meaning the charities are free to distribute them to anyone in the UK who would benefit from six months of free data, calls and texts, according to the Telegraph.

Mr Yusuf told GB News: "British people are rightly outraged that a company of the size and scale of Vodafone is handing out SIM cards to military-aged men who they know are breaking into Britain. That is precisely what Vodafone have been doing."

He added: "If Vodafone did this under a reformed government, the whole board of directors would go to jail."

Care4Calais's annual report boasts of 162,000 items handed out in the UK and France to nearly 30,000 illegal migrants.

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As well as the sim cards, the charity handed out 3,765 hoodies, 3,532 pairs of joggers and 1,174 T-shirts to ensure the migrants are clothed.

Care4Calais also recorded 25,807 unique instances of individuals accessing its services, providing 3,367 free haircuts, 13,554 phone charging services, 7,124 English lessons, 467 sewing repairs, and 1,295 bike repairs.

At British military bases housing illegal migrants, Care4Calais ran 80 "drop-in sessions", 17 large-scale handouts and gave out over 23,000 freebies.

Those housed at the Wethersfield Asylum Centre in Essex also have access to photography, art and rambling, paid for through a combination of public funds and charitable donations.

A Vodafone spokesman said: "VodafoneThree’s programme provides mobile sims to registered UK charities – against strict programme criteria – for distribution to vulnerable people in the UK.

"Participating charities, regulated by the Charity Commission, distribute the six months connectivity to those they identify as being in need. All calls, texts and data are for UK use only."

A Care4Calais spokesman said: "Care4Calais does not hand out sim cards in France, as his recent spate of social media posts have suggested.

"We access sim cards through a charitable scheme, and distribute them to people claiming asylum in the UK who need phones to keep in contact with family and friends, and access support."

GB News has reached out to both Vodafone and Care4Calais for further comment.

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Andy Burnham has been urged to "rapidly expand prison capacity" amid national outrage over the possible early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.

Speaking to GB News, crime journalist David Shipley argued the Labour Government has had "two years" to get a grip of the prisons crisis.

The Prime Minister has announced his reforms to the Government's early release prison scheme, but has failed to block the early release of PC Harper's killers.

In her first at-length interview with the People's Channel, PC Harper's mother Debbie Adlam called on Mr Burnham to "not let her down" and ensure her son's killers serve their full sentence.

She told GB News: "Please don't let us down. We and everybody else in my situation, we all deserve better, we should not be put in this position.

"We've been put into a place that we should never have been in the first place, and we're having to live and cope with this horrific situation."

Reacting to the backlash on GB News, Mr Shipley said the case "demonstrates the human reality" of the early release scheme.

He said: "He wasn't a number, he was a a young man with his whole life ahead of him. He left a widow, and his mother is, of course, still grieving and always will be.

"She said something really interesting, which I think resonates with a lot of people. It's the sense of fairness that these men aren't going to get the sentence they were given, and I think that's what we all feel quite uncomfortable with about early releases, I think it feels unfair."

Host Cristo Foufas challenged Mr Shipley, arguing that the Labour Government was "handed a prison service which didn't have the prison places that were necessary".

Agreeing with Cristo, Mr Shipley responded: "I think it is true that they inherited a prison system in crisis. There were not enough spaces built by the Tories during their 14 years in power.

"But Labour have had two years, and the deal with the early release scheme was supposed to be that they would deal with some other things along with it.

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"They would build more prison places, they would improve probation, sort out the tagging systems they actually can supervise people in the community. None of that's really happened."

Mr Shipley urged the Prime Minister to "rapidly expand" the prison estate, suggesting "various ways" that the Government could do it.

He said: "They could do better and they should be doing better. I think what they need to do is rapidly expand the prison capacity.

"There's various ways they can do that, such that we are jailing people on the basis of public protection, of punishment, rehabilitation of a sense of fairness, rather than jailing people or not on the basis of whether we have room.

"That is an insane thing for a modern developed economy to be doing."

Addressing the controversy surrounding the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers, the Prime Minister has made clear he will "not give up" in trying to block the two men from being eligible for release.

He said: "I've been pressing every single day to go further. I don't want to see a single prisoner released early, and that's the spirit that I brought to the first three weeks that I've served as Prime Minister, and I've always worked like that.

"I've never taken no for an answer, not in the past, dealing with Hillsborough and other issues and not now when I'm facing the situation that I'm looking at now, it's always been my style. I won't give up and I believe there is more I can do."

PC Andrew Harper's mother Debbie Adlam has issued a heartfelt plea to Prime Minister Andy Burnham as her son's killers are set to be released early from prison.

Sitting down with GB News presenter Cristo Foufas, Ms Adlam urged the PM to "not let us down" and ensure that the two killers of her son are excluded from Labour's early release scheme, and that they serve their "full sentence".

She told GB News: "Please don't let us down, we and everybody else in my situation, we all deserve better. We should not be put in this position.

"We'd be the scapegoats for the failing system, and we shouldn't be. We shouldn't be here. We're just normal people, we're not anything special, but I think we deserve better. We've been put into a place that we should never have been in the first place, and we're having to live and cope with this horrific situation.

"We will never, ever live like we used to. We will never be able to get up every day and feel the way we used to. I just can't sit back and do nothing at the moment.

"I just think it's an extension of needing to know everything when it happened. I can't pick and choose, it's just a drive and it just has to be done. Even if it comes to nothing, you have to try. I know I've got to try."

WATCH ABOVE.

Andy Burnham has been branded "totally out of touch" after pledging a £65million boost to the farming industry after suffering the driest July on record.

Speaking to GB News, arable and livestock farmer Colin Rayner declared that the move by the Prime Minister was "too late", and he has "no confidence" in him.

After holding a Cobra meeting this week, the PM has announced £65million in funding for drought and extreme heat issues that are taking toll on British crops and livestock.

The new package follows the driest July on record in England and Wales, and will help farms cope now and invest in measures including reservoirs to protect against future droughts.

Casting doubt over Mr Burnham's efforts, Mr Rayner told GB News: "The Prime Minister is totally out of touch. A lot of the reason we have these wildfires out of control is because of the environmentalists.

"In my father's time, we used to do controlled burning on our farms to stop fire spreading, and because the environmentalists now want us to plant a 10-metre grass strip around all our fields, this makes every household in the country vulnerable, because we've now got tinderbox grass next to people's houses."

Mr Rayner revealed that his farm suffered "three major fires" just yesterday alone.

He explained: "We had three major fires yesterday on areas that shouldn't have caught fire if we could still control the burning on our farm.

"And this £65million he's offering us, I doubt if any of us will see it because they will have 1,000 strings attached to it. Even if you built a reservoir, the Environment Agency wouldn't give you a licence to fill it, so I have no confidence in our Prime Minister."

Criticising the Government's national alert which was sent out across the nation on Friday, Mr Rayner warned that it may result in "more fires", as people will "want to be on the news" for starting blazes.

He told GB News: "We didn't need that notice yesterday. The persons setting fire to the countryside are not going to listen to a text, that's going to only encourage them.

"So I think that message yesterday will spark more fires because people want to be on TikTok, they want to be on the news."

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The farmer continued: "But all my neighbours are fantastic people, we had three fires yesterday on our farm in Windsor and I was notified by residents and the fire brigade came out and dealt with them."

Mr Rayner urged the Government to conduct more "joined up thinking" between them and the farming industry to help tackle these issues.

He said: "There needs to be a national strategy between farmers - we have tens of thousands of vacuum tankers that can help in the time of emergency - but there's no joined up thinking.

"I'm just disappointed in Government. Too late, out of touch, don't care about the common man."

Detailing the £65million boost for farmers, Mr Burnham said he has got "a long way to go" to "build back trust" with the farming community.

He said: "Within my first month of office, I wanted to be on a farm, hearing about the reality and how difficult it's been, particularly in this summer.

"I think it's probably been the hardest summer for British farming in a generation. So many challenges for those in arable farming, livestock farming, doing a mixture of the two, on every front they can see challenges.

"So it's really important that I'm here and I'm listening and announcing some help in these difficult times."

Zia Yusuf has torn into “conspiring” political rivals after Labour was told to stand aside in a possible second Clacton by-election to allow the Conservatives to oust Nigel Farage.

It was revealed on Friday that senior Conservative officials had hoped Andy Burnham would not put forward a candidate in order to unite an anti-Nigel Farage vote.

There could be a second by-election in Clacton in the coming months if the Reform UK leader is found guilty by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

When he was reelected as an MP on Friday, the investigation into his £5million donation was reopened.

Mr Yusuf has hit back at his political rivals on social media.

He said: “The obvious, natural party for the dying Tory Party to do a deal with is Labour.

“The uniparty operate the same open borders, eyewatering tax policies.

“The same disdain for voters.

“They already conspired together to cancel elections.

“They will keep conspiring against the interests of the British people.”

The comments come after a senior Conservative source told The Telegraph: “If Burnham was sensible, he’d obviously stand aside in the next by-election.

“Labour don’t stand a chance, and Binface’s numbers show there’s a sizeable anti-Farage vote in Clacton.

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“Either way, Kemi’s been clear she wants to throw everything at it.

“Reform’s laughable overselling of Farage’s poor performance on Thursday shows they’re clearly worried this isn’t over.”

The Telegraph reports that the Tories have already begun drawing up a list of political candidates to take on Mr Farage should a by-election be triggered.

A source said: “You can’t just have a local councillor or something.

“We want a proper public servant as a contrast to Farage, who has been filling his boots with crypto cash.”

Mr Farage predicted he had won “very convincingly”, saying he had beaten “Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

“My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views,” he said.

“If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry,” he said.

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A British farmer has launched a scathing attack on Andy Burnham after announcing a £65million support package to help the industry amid a record-breaking dry spell.

Speaking to GB News, Gareth Wyn Jones declared the Prime Minister's pledge is "a little bit too late" as farmers continue to struggle both financially and amid the driest July on record.

Following a Cobra meeting this week, Mr Burnham has given £65million in funding for drought and extreme heat issues that are taking toll on crops and livestock.

The new package follows the driest July on record in England and Wales, with money to help farms cope now and invest in measures including reservoirs to protect against future droughts.

The Prime Minister says farmers "shouldn't carry the risks of a changing climate alone" with the Government increasingly treating the resilience of British farming as "a question of national food security".

Reacting to the package, Mr Wyn Jones told GB News it is "not a lot of money" to support all farmers across the country.

He said: "I wouldn't say it's a lot of money, to be honest with you. And again, a little bit too late.

"We got that alert last night, and we've been having wildfires for three months on these mountains. It's, bonkers, absolutely bonkers."

The farmer made clear the Government should be "procuring British products" in all public services across the nation.

He stressed: "We need to be looking at definitely securing our food system in this country. The British Government, in schools, hospitals, and everywhere they can, should be procuring British meat, British milk, British cereals. Everything should be British.

"And we should be getting a fair price for what we're producing. £65 million, it's the tip of the iceberg for the problems we got."

Criticising successive Governments in tackling these issue, Mr Wyn Jones argued that they are "always too late" to a problem before "pulling their socks up".

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He explained: "I think we've got to ask our water companies as well. We've got a massive lake up here called Llyn Anafon, which used to supply all this village, and Welsh Water has depleted that. They haven't maintained it.

"Now they say the dam's not good enough to protect it, so there's a lot of things that could have been done by previous Governments, and this government need to make sure water is stored for our drier months.

"This is why I think they're always too late in the game, and we're going to go hungry and dry before they can pull up their socks, to be honest."

Asked by host Dawn Neesom how difficult this summer has been for him and his farm, Mr Wyn Jones admitted it has been "really difficult" to cope.

He told GB News: "It's been difficult, I ain't gonna lie to you. We've lost a lot of land to fires up here, about three, four weeks ago, with a massive fire on the countryside. We've had another couple over here.

"We've been carrying water to our animals in some of the fields that have dried off. It's not easy, not going to lie to you, but, you know, we get on with it. Our job is to produce food to feed the nation, and all we need is the support."

He continued: "I've got to thank the general public because they've been supportive, since day dot they've got behind us. The sad thing is that we've got crazy policies coming from governments all over the world to reduce the number of livestock, they're saying that livestock is the biggest problem within the so-called climate crisis.

"Well, I disagree. If we started grazing them uplands a bit better, get sheep and ponies and cattle on there, we wouldn't have these wildfires. All these problems have been produced by policies from governments, and we have to address it."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that the death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday was “a tragedy on so many levels” and that now it was a "moment for reflection."

Mr Arday was found "unresponsive" at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday

Mr Burnham said: "It’s a tragedy on so many levels, but particularly just for everybody who knew Jason, his family obviously, his friends. We think of think of them today."

MORE FOLLOWS...

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Villages across England have been left up in arms after the Government confirmed it is continuing plans to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers at three former military bases in Oxfordshire, North Yorkshire and Suffolk.

Two of the three sites earmarked for conversion sit less than a mile from primary schools, placing the plans in direct conflict with rules the Home Office itself published in July.

The scheme, originally announced by the previous government in June, is intended to wean the asylum system off its costly dependence on hotel accommodation.

RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire — where Prince William trained during his military service in 2008 — has a primary school, nursery and children's play area all situated within a mile of the site.

RAF Linton-on-Ouse is set to house up to 1,200 male asylum seekers, creating a ratio of six men to each woman in the 600-person village.

Malcolm Taylor, a North Yorkshire councillor, told The Times: "It's quite an attractive site, it's not one of your austere former military sites and it's right in the heart of the village. So as a consequence, it's right adjacent to the school, the play park That's what has really ramped up the concerns of the community."

In west Suffolk, RAF Barnham near Thetford is being considered for conversion into accommodation capable of holding as many as 1,250 asylum seekers, a proposal that has generated significant alarm locally.

A third site near Piddington, close to Bicester in Oxfordshire, does not neighbour a school but sits beside a children's play area.

John Bauer, chairman of Barnham parish council, warned that some parents were already contemplating withdrawing their children from Barnham School owing to its closeness to the proposed site, a move that could threaten the school's long-term future.

The concerns have also been raised in Parliament. Sir Alec Shelbrooke, the Conservative MP for Wetherby & Easingwold, pressed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on whether she would exclude the Linton-on-Ouse site from consideration, describing the location as "inappropriate" because of its "proximity to the primary school".

Ms Mahmood responded: "No decision has been taken, and all these factors, including other community assets, such as schools and community facilities, are taken into account as part of the decision making."

The Home Office's own July guidance also ruled out new-build properties and homes that might be perceived as luxurious for asylum housing.

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Labour faces accusations of sidestepping local democratic processes by employing an "urgent" planning mechanism for the Bicester and Barnham sites. Rather than submitting applications through local planning authorities, the Home Office has sent them directly to Housing Secretary Angela Rayner for approval.

Officials have justified the fast-track route on grounds of national interest, but the approach has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.

MPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives whose constituencies border the proposed sites have voiced concerns that the process is fundamentally undemocratic.

Andy Burnham has defended the proposals this week, arguing that residents of wealthier parts of the country must "play their part".

He added that he was "prepared always to listen to people, to work with people and to pick up legitimate concerns".

Anna Turley, the minister for border security and asylum, sought to reassure communities by insisting that migrants housed at the sites would have access to all necessary services on the premises.

"They're not going to be in the village," she told LBC. "Everything they need will be on that site."

The Home Office said: "We are seeking to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, working closely with local authorities to reduce the impact on communities.

"This means closing every asylum hotel while moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites.

"It also means reducing the number in asylum accommodation. The number receiving support is now falling, and asylum costs are down by £1 billion since the general election."

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The electric car industry has reacted with fury to plans that the Government could amend EV sales targets, describing it as a "catastrophic own goal".

Labour has launched a new consultation regarding the future of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate and how the UK can move towards its sales goals.

The ZEV mandate requires manufacturers to have a minimum percentage of sales come from electric cars through annual targets, with a 33 per cent goal for the end of the year.

One of the key changes suggests that the 80 per cent target in place for 2030 could be maintained, kept at 80 per cent with extended flexibility, or reduced to 70 per cent, 60 per cent or 50 per cent.

READ MORE: Labour outlines major changes to electric car targets despite massive industry backlash

Additional rule changes could see targets for vans changed from the current 2030 goal of 70 per cent to 60 per cent, 50 per cent or even as low as 40 per cent.

Thom Groot, CEO of The Electric Car Scheme, warned that reducing ZEV mandate targets would be a "catastrophic own goal" for the Government and the future of zero emission motoring.

He noted that consumer demand for electric vehicles was continuing to grow, while demand for new EVs through salary sacrifice has doubled in the last year.

"I would like to see the Government channel the momentum already gained into focusing on innovations and incentives that make EVs more accessible. We will make this clear in the review," Mr Groot said.

Other experts warned that weakening targets could threaten billions of pounds in charging investment and slow the rollout of public chargers.

Iain Coucher, Chair of ChargeUK, added: "There is limited public support for slowing the EV transition and we know millions more people would make the switch if it was affordable for them.

"So the Government has an opportunity to deliver a voter-backed win for people's pockets by doubling down on the ZEV mandate and cutting the policy costs pushing up public charging prices."

A recent report from ChargeUK found that a minority of the UK public supports the idea of slowing the electric vehicle transition.

Almost one in five people said that the transition to electric vehicles should be sped up, while more than one-third of people said the pace of change was "about right".

The wider transition to electric vehicles could create 334,000 jobs and deliver £385billion in value to the UK economy by 2035, ChargeUK uncovered.

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Delvin Lane, CEO of InstaVolt, acknowledged that billions of pounds had already been invested in the nation's public EV charging infrastructure, with InstaVolt responsible for "hundreds of millions of pounds".

He noted that this decision was made as a result of Government policy which gave the chargepoint operator a "clear runway to plan against".

"Softening the mandate at this stage risks spooking exactly the private capital that’s been building the infrastructure this transition depends on," Mr Lane added.

The consultation will run until October 23, with the Government maintaining that it remains committed to reviewing the ZEV mandate before 2027.

Ginny Buckley, the chief executive of Electrifying.com, the electric car buying and advice site, said: "Debate around the ZEV mandate is increasingly polarised, but the biggest threat to EV sales is constant flip-flopping and a lack of clear direction.

"I'd rather see no change to the existing mandate, however, life is all about compromise.

"I understand the pragmatic case for a 2030 target closer to 60 per cent, while recognising plug-in hybrids with meaningful electric range.

"Mild hybrids are different: they can’t drive on electric power alone and remain fundamentally petrol cars."

She stated that the Government needed to stick with the decision backed by industry to ensure drivers remain confident in electric cars and companies can continue investing in the technology and chargers.

Labour have been blasted over a "dangerous" emergency alert decision made yesterday as the siren message was sent multiple times.

The notification, intended to reach all residents at 7pm with guidance against lighting fires in open spaces such as parks, moorland and woodland, continued sounding on numerous devices as late as 11pm — a full four hours after the initial broadcast.

It represented the most extensive deployment of the alert technology since its introduction in 2023, reaching millions of handsets nationwide.

The repeated alerts were attributed to the Government transmitting the signal over an extended window to maximise reach. Factors such as dual SIM configurations, reminder settings and users moving in and out of signal coverage could also have caused phones to receive the warning multiple times, according to a source.

In the wake of the alert, fire services across England and Wales found themselves overwhelmed by 999 calls from members of the public ringing to report neighbours holding barbecues or lighting bonfires.

Surrey Fire & Rescue Service posted on X: "Please only call 999 if there is an emergency or a fire producing significant smoke. We understand residents may be concerned, but we are unable to respond to reports of neighbours having BBQs, bonfires or campfires in their gardens unless there is an emergency."

Services in Surrey, Gloucestershire and South Wales were among those hit hardest by the surge in calls.

Gloucestershire Constabulary separately asked the public to direct any "urgent fire-related matters" to the fire service rather than the police.

The alert had advised people to avoid leaving barbecues unattended, to ensure they were fully extinguished, and to take care when disposing of cigarette ends.

The Government also faced sharp criticism over its decision to issue the alert in Welsh before English to recipients in Wales, despite only a minority of the population speaking the language.

Reform UK Wales branded the approach "dangerous," stating: "The overwhelming majority of Wales speaks English. For all emergency announcements, English should come first to avoid any panic or confusion."

The Conservatives echoed the objection, with both parties arguing that prioritising Welsh in an emergency situation was inappropriate.

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A source indicated that the Government had opted to send the Welsh-language version first in order to fulfil its legal obligation to promote the Welsh language, with an English translation following moments afterwards.

However, the decision is reportedly now set for a formal review amid concerns that the sequencing left some members of the public confused during a critical safety warning.

Alex Burghart, the Conservative shadow Northern Ireland secretary, condemned the use of the system as disproportionate, warning it set a troubling precedent.

He said: "When the severe alert system was established, it was made clear that there will be a very high threshold for its use based on strict criteria centred on an immediate risk to life.

"Tonight's use at a national level clearly doesn't hit that threshold and opens the door to future misuse of the system.

"Labour needs to publish who signed off the decision to use the alert and the criteria that they were using."

Former Conservative digital minister Matt Warman similarly questioned whether deploying the system for a wildfire warning was a proportionate response.

The Government pushed back firmly against the criticism.

A source said: "This decision was taken in response to an unprecedented level of risk and in close collaboration with experts in the fire service. Individuals claiming to know better than those serving on the front line are frankly choosing to play politics with public safety."

The alert came amid an escalating wildfire crisis that had prompted Andy Burnham to request military assistance.

Firefighters in South Wales were tackling more than 30 separate blazes, with 100 troops from the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment deployed and a further 100 due to arrive by Friday evening.

Welsh authorities declared a major incident as fires threatened multiple communities across the region.

Burnham also announced an immediate temporary prohibition on the sale of disposable barbecues, citing the "significant risk to the public and the environment" posed during the ongoing heatwave.

Baroness Blake of Leeds was appointed fire minister on Friday, taking up the role within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Met Office forecast offered little comfort, with the dry spell expected to persist until the end of September, when only limited rainfall is anticipated.

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Council staff taking sick days are costing taxpayers £3million a day, new research has revealed.

Members of local councils are now taking twice as many sick days as private-sector workers, costing £667million.

Research by The Taxpayers Alliance shows their absence rate is almost a third higher than the rest of the public sector.

Research shows council staff take 10 call-in sick days on average.

Mental health reasons now account for a quarter of all employee absences, and is thought to be driving the figures.

Shimeon Lee, a policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, told The Telegraph: “Local authorities are letting absenteeism spiral out of control. Council bosses cannot plead poverty while failing to manage their own staff, which leaves taxpayers with a multi-billion pound bill for lost working days and expensive temporary cover.

“It’s time for town halls to get a grip on staff sickness, cap expensive agency use, and prove they can get the most out of their existing workforce before demanding more cash.”

Whilst sick days are costing £3million, councils are increasingly relying on agency staff, which is now £2billion a year.

The research from the think tank confirms that £176million has been lost to sick days taken for specifically mental health reasons.

That figure has risen from £50million in 2022-23.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance has added up that sick days cost 9 million working days every year, the equivalent of 41,302 full-time roles.

David Taylor, a former councillor who co-wrote the report, said: “Local authorities cannot keep being held hostage by expensive staffing agencies, spending £8.5m of taxpayer’s money every day.

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“The huge variation in agency costs, and the percentage of staff on agency contracts, shows that the dependence is not inevitable.

“Agency staff have a role to play in short-term cover, but many local authorities appear to have agency staff in post for years.

“This includes in senior positions. They need to get a grip on recruitment and retention, build stronger in-house teams, and get costs down.”

The think tank has also called for ministers to respond by telling councils that additional funding would be dependent on reducing the number of sick days.

It added the Government should clamp down on local authorities’ use of agency workers, and make councils publish more transparent data on absences.

The figures were acquired under Freedom of Information requests, and show information from 2022-2025.

Fenland District Council in Cambridgeshire had the highest proportion of days lost to mental health absence.

The local council offers a “generous” holiday allowance, as well as discounted access to areas ”to enjoy hybrid working”.

It also has “mental health first aiders” who “deliver campaigns and fundraising activities to embed mental health awareness across the council”.

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Britain's Iran policy has been slammed as complacent and lacking long-term thinking in a new report.

A leading expert on Iran has warned that ongoing Iran conflict has exposed flaws in the UK's approach to Iran as Tehran directly targets Jewish and Israeli people in the UK.

The paper, written by Professor Ali Ansari, a leading authority on Iran, for Policy Exchange, features a foreword from Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, who pointed to years of British failure of "strategic thought".

Tom Tugendhat told GB News: "GB News has long raised the profound threat presented by the Islamic Republic of Iran - and rightly so. The ruling theocratic regime has plotted to kidnap and murder dissidents on British streets, while deploying criminal groups to terrorise Jewish communities through arson attacks and vandalism.

"Abroad, it arms Russia's invasion of Ukraine, bankrolls terrorist proxies across the Middle East and threatens the shipping and energy routes our economy depends on - all while racing toward nuclear weapons."

The Iran war broke out after the White House's negotiations with Tehran fell through - but Prof Ansari has argued the focus on the nuclear programme has obscured the wider challenge posed by Iran, including proxy networks and attacks inside the UK.

Mr Tugendhat added: "It is clear that Tehran is pursuing a sustained campaign of aggression against the British homeland and our interests in the Middle East to intimidate our people, fracture our alliances and force Britain into retreat.

"As Policy Exchange makes clear in Professor Ali Ansari's new report, it cannot be allowed to succeed."

A Commons report released last month noted that "dissidents, journalists, regime opponents, Israelis, Jews, and sectors including government, travel and universities" had all been targeted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Earlier this year, an Iran-linked group was sanctioned by then-Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper after it claimed responsibility for a series of attacks at British locations linked to Jewish and Israeli communities, including an attack on Haztola-owned ambulances in Golders Green.

Britain has been gripped by a "status quo-ism" which has resulted in Whitehall responding to problems as they arise rather than responding to a considered assessment of its interests, Prof Ansari said.

"Policy suffers from a structural, institutional and ideational deficit which hampers the development of a coherent strategy towards Iran, beyond short-term crisis management," he wrote in the paper, titled British Policy and the Iran Crisis: Masterly Inactivity and the Marginalisation of Britain.

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Prof Ansari also argued the Iran crisis has exposed the decline of the UK's regional military presence, harming the UK's relation with Middle Eastern allies.

And Mr Tugendhat said: "Despite months of warning and an American military build-up visible from space, Britain's long-practiced masterly inactivity gave the the clear impression of amateurly irrelevance in a region where appearance is everything."

As the Iran war broke out, it was revealed Britain was not ready to send a warship to the region.

The former Security Minister said this "revealed to the world that we are increasingly unable to match our interests with either the military capacity to defend them or the strategic confidence to shape events".

Prof Ansari said Britain's attempts to exercise soft power without "credible hard power" was "marginalising Britain into irrelevance".

The report is now calling for the creation of a long-term Iran strategy and to restore military capacity to defend British interests, assist Gulf allies and protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Tugendhat said the Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband needs to "remember his department isn’t there just to maintain relationships but to promote Britain and expand our interests, robustly if necessary in the face of oppression".

Prof Ansari has also called for the UK to work with European partners, namely France, to secure constraints on Iran's nuclear programme, to protect the Foreign Office's Iran Unit and to reform career structures to reward regional specialisation and give reserach analysts a greater role in the development of policy.

The BBC has failed to subpoena Donald Trump's family in the President's defamation case against the broadcaster.

The President filed a $10billion lawsuit against the broadcaster over the editing of his January 6 speech in a Panorama documentary.

While the BBC has since issued a grovelling apology for an "error of judgement", it has continued its efforts to have the case thrown out.

It has now attempted to subpoena Mr Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner to force them to give evidence.

The broadcaster claims all three family members have "personal knowledge and likely have possession, custody, or control of records relevant to multiple elements of Plaintiff’s claims against the BBC", according to court documents filed in the US District Court in Florida on Friday.

But it has been unsuccessful in its efforts - this is because all three are protected by the US Secret Service as members of the President's immediate family, the BBC said.

It is now asking for any alternative way to serve the documents, having "endeavoured to resolve the issue" without appealing to the courts.

The BBC asked Mr Trump to accept the documents on behalf of his family members, but he allegedly "refused" to do so.

Requests to direct the Secret Service to accept the documents were also refused, the BBC claimed.

It attempted to serve Mr Trump Jr at Trump Tower in New York but was "stopped" by security at the building.

Another attempt to serve the documents, just two days later, was blocked because the BBC's representative was told the "legal department" was not in that day, according to the court filing.

The BBC also attempted to serve Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Mr Kushner, at their home in Florida but were blocked by law enforcement.

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The broadcaster admitted its attempts to serve Mr Trump's family were "unusual, perhaps even novel", but said the solution was "straightforward".

It has asked for the Court's help to serve the subpoenas through methods including email, mail and notice to the witnesses' lawyers.

In the US, subpoenas must be delivered in-person, hand-to-hand, unless an exception from the court is granted.

Mr Trump said the Panorama episode, broadcast before his 2024 presidential election victory, caused both reputational and financial injury.

In the documentary, separate moments of the President's speech were spliced together to make it seem as if he directly called for violence in the Capitol.

He has since dropped part of the lawsuit against the BBC Studios Distribution Limited and BBC Studios Productions Limited - the corporation's commercial and production arms.

The criticism around the documentary led to Tim Davie and Deborah Turness resigning as BBC director-general and CEO of BBC News, respectively.

The BBC has maintained its claims the President lacks the grounds for a defamation lawsuit and is being represented by Ballard Spahr, who have defended a number of publications facing lawsuits from Mr Trump - namely The New York Times and the Associated Press.

Andy Burnham is set to unveil a £65million support package to farmers as the Government ramps up its response to the driest July on record.

The announcement follows a Cobra meeting chaired by the Prime Minister this week, with a focus on the national response to the extreme heat, wildfires and drought.

The package forms part of a wider cross-government effort tackling farming, water supply and infrastructure pressures caused by the prolonged dry spell.

It will help farmers get water to crops, keep livestock fed where grass has failed and continue environmental agreements without losing payments, when drought makes agreed work impossible.

Farmers will also receive support to build on-farm water storage, helping prepare for future dry summers.

Mr Burnham is due to visit a farm in the south west tomorrow alongside farming minister Stephen Morgan.

They will meet affected farmers and set out the Government's plan.

The Prime Minister is expected to say: "I am meeting with farmers here in the South West who brought in the earliest harvest of their working lives and watched the yield come in well down on what it should be."

"Lower income, higher costs, and no rain in the forecast. I understand the worry that comes with that," he will add.

Mr Burnham is also expected to say: "The ability to grow our own food is national security, and I will treat it that way.

"So we are acting now: more money into farm support, help to get reservoirs built, and easier access to water when it is scarce.

"This is the third drought in five years. Farmers are at the sharp end of a changing climate, and they should not be carrying that risk alone."

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The package includes greater flexibility in environmental schemes, allowing drought-hit farmers to continue receiving payments while taking practical steps to protect livestock, crops and land.

An extra £50million will go into the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026, taking its total budget to £290million.

Ministers also plan to make it easier to build reservoirs by reducing planning barriers.

An updated National Planning Policy Framework is due to be published on Monday.

Up to £15million has been earmarked for on-farm reservoirs.

Farmers will also benefit from improved access to water during drought conditions through the Environment Agency.

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said the government was "stepping in with practical support" to help farmers through what she called some of the toughest conditions in decades.

She added that ministers would keep working with the sector through the Farming Roadmap.

The announcement comes amid growing concern over Britain's food security.

Investment bank Shore Capital has warned the UK is facing its "worst food security crisis in decades," with wheat yields down 14 per cent and oat supplies down nine per cent this year.

The bank cautioned that reduced yields will leave Britain more reliant on imports, which could push up animal feed costs and, in turn, supermarket prices.

Alistair Carmichael, chairman of the environment, food and rural affairs committee, warned that the problems facing farmers now would filter through to consumers within six to 12 months.

Food inflation could rise to five per cent in the coming months, according to Shore Capital, up from its current rate of 1.7 per cent.

Almost three-quarters of England is now in drought status, with 27 million people currently subject to hosepipe bans.

The Government has insisted the UK's food system remains resilient, pointing to strong domestic production and international trade.

It says it does not expect the dry weather to affect national food security.

Donald Trump has declared his ambition to make the Strait of Hormuz "a territory of the United States".

The President said "no ships get through unless we want them to" during a rally in Garden City, New York.

He told a crowd of law enforcement officers war in the Middle East is far from over.

"We have to make a little journey to the Middle East because we have to put out a potential disaster, a potential very big fire, a fire like you've never seen," Mr Trump said. "We can't let Iran keep going."

Prior to the US military's strikes against the Islamic Republic in February, the 104-mile-long Strait served as a crucial shipping lane for oil, gas and fertilisers.

Iran is positioned on the Strait’s north coast, while Oman, a long-standing strategic ally of the West, is on its south side.

Six months since the conflict began, maritime traffic through the Strait has been severely disrupted, making transit a key area of peace negotiations.

Last weekend in Britain, the price of petrol reached a high since fighting commenced at £1.61 a litre.

Despite the impact on the global economy, Iranian forces are expected to ramp up aggression in the Strait to exert pressure on Washington ahead of November's midterm congressional elections.

Tehran said it will not surrender until the US “corrects its behaviour", “completely compensate(s)” the country for damages and lifts sanctions “unconditionally”.

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said whoever owns the Strait does “not change the reality".

They stated: "The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran’s conditions are accepted".

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"The false claims of the United States that ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz normally... are nothing more than lies and fabrications," Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for Iran's central command, Khatam-al Anbiya, added.

Mr Trump admitted the US was now "low-keying" talks after a ceasefire agreement collapsed.

Today, he stressed Americans are having to “pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline” to ensure Iran does not have any nuclear weapons.

Mr Trump had previously deployed a naval blockade in the Strait, claiming American supremacy over the transit of exports from the region.

Yesterday, the head of paramilitary Basij forces under Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed the Strait was under their control.

"Today, you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic republic, and our country continues on its path in complete security," cleric and commender Hossein Taeb commented.

The comments come a few days after bombshell details emerged about Mr Trump's extraordinary getaway from an alleged Iranian threat to his life.

It emerged Mr Trump was smuggled away in a catering vehicle onto a waiting plane following last month's Nato summit in Turkey.

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In 1954, as crowds at the Earl's Court Motor Show marvelled at London's new Routemaster bus, few could have predicted the capital’s fleet would one day be dominated by Chinese-made electric vehicles.

But what would have been inconceivable then has become a reality seven decades later – and is now a direct assault on Britain's national security.

Having played their part in both World Wars in transporting soldiers and converting as ambulances, the capital's single and double-deckers have been taken over by a newer adversary in what has been dubbed a "total surrender".

Build Your Dreams, a Shenzhen-based manufacturing firm more commonly known by its acronym, BYD, has become an unmissable presence across the city's transport network.

There were 261 BYD/BYD-Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) models in Transport for London’s (TfL) fleet in 2020, with the figure booming to 1,197 as of March 2025 – a 359 per cent increase, exclusive figures obtained by GB News reveal.

This drive has been powered by TfL's goal of running an entirely zero-emission bus fleet by 2030.

As of March 2025, BYD/BYD-ADL models accounted for 61 per cent of the capital's electric bus fleet.

That share has likely grown since, with TfL celebrating its 3,000th zero-emission bus taking to the city's streets in June.

Described as “an international symbol" of the capital by the London Transport Museum, the Pantone 485 C red buses make around five million journeys across the city each day.

However, the push to make the popular mode of travel "the most accessible, affordable and sustainable", in the words of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, may have come at a cost to safety.

BYD was the world's biggest electric bus exporter in 2024, shipping more than 3,500 abroad, according to Sustainable Bus magazine.

Chinese brands now hold roughly 28 per cent of Europe's electric bus market.

The drastic shift often leaves commuters in the capital finding themselves on the all-electric BD11 model, which was “specifically designed” for the city.

This market domination has raised alarm bells among security experts, warning the Chinese EV explosion is “a power shift that has not been discussed or addressed".

"‘What happens if we find ourselves at war with our suppliers?’ That was the question the public transport provider in Oslo asked us," Tor Indstøy, Vice-President (Risk Management and Threat Intelligence) at Norway's Telenor Group told the People’s Channel.

Mr Indstøy, along with Arild Tjomsland, a senior adviser at the University of South-Eastern Norway, were tasked by Oslo's public transport operator, Ruter, with uncovering what these connected vehicles are capable of, as well as the cybersecurity risks those capabilities could pose.

The buses tested were Chinese-made Yutong models, of which there are more than 600 across the United Kingdom.

The pair, assisted by their 10-strong team, had already run tests on Mr Indstøy’s NIO Chinese SUV by placing the vehicle deep into a Norwegian mine to test whether the machine could be controlled remotely.

From the depths of the mines, they confirmed the manufacturer could send software updates “over the air, much like your phone”.

The Norwegian researchers concluded owning an EV was a “strange kind of rental agreement in which the manufacturer has full control”.

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The pair said software updates could theoretically be exploited for malicious ends, thus reducing a vehicle's maximum speed or shutting it down entirely, in what is widely known as a "kill switch".

Mr Indstøy and Mr Tjomsland conducted the same test on Ruter's Chinese electric bus, where they found the same theoretical possibilities applied despite the bus being a far more simple model than the NIO.

Essentially, in the wrong hands, the same capabilities that let a manufacturer maintain a vehicle could be used against its owner.

“If actors somewhere along that chain are not on our side geopolitically, and an international crisis arises, they could use that position as leverage,” Mr Indstøy warned.

“An all-out scenario where a bus is weaponised by an opponent is not very probable – using this kind of technical control as leverage for a political motive is far more realistic," he added.

Britain's News Channel put these findings to TfL, asking specifically whether it or its subcontracted bus operators manage these software updates and whether BYD notifies them before updates are applied.

A spokesman said: "All buses entering service in London must meet our robust technical requirements and we are committed to rigorous testing."

“We continuously review and update these requirements to ensure buses in London meet the highest standards.”

The Scandinavia experts also found the NIO was sending 90 per cent of the car’s data – the majority of it encrypted – to a location in Beijing, confirming, in Mr Indstøy’s words, EVs are “data centres on wheels”.

Chinese law requires companies to provide all the data it collects upon the request of the Government.

The Western world is only waking up to this fact, with the United States attempting to ban TikTok earlier this year and the UK banning network operators from buying 5G equipment from Huawei in 2020.

It is not only vehicles which are sending their data to the Middle Kingdom.

Earlier this month, it emerged cameras fitted to Royal Navy drones were sending “heartbeat communications" – signals indicating a device is online and functioning – to an IP address in China.

The Ministry of Defence said they "found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally".

Concerns over foreign-linked vehicle systems are not merely theoretical, either.

Last December, hundreds of Porsches across Russia were left undriveable after a failure in their factory-installed satellite security system triggered sudden engine shutdowns, the Moscow Times reported.

A representative of Rolf, Russia's largest dealership group, said it was possible the outage had been done deliberately.

Mr Indstøy said it was unlikely the cars had been "sabotaged".

Instead, with sanctions imposed on the Kremlin after its invasion of Ukraine and companies pulling out of the market, "things stop working" as software updates dry up and services become unavailable.

Dame Priti Patel, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said GB News' exposé on BYD was “yet more evidence that Labour are kowtowing to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)".

She added: “Labour has given the CCP a free pass to undermine all aspects of our safety and security.

“At every stage, Labour’s soft touch to China extends from No10 to Sadiq Khan, under whom vital transport contracts are being handed to China.

“Khan and (Andy) Burnham must explain how they will ensure that reducing emissions does not come with a hidden cost for our national security.

“Labour are not serious and have failed to stand up to Beijing. Only the Conservatives can be trusted to put our national interest first.”

In June, the Pentagon described BYD as a "military-civil fusion contributor to the Chinese defence industrial base".

BYD rejects the US’s designation, with the Chinese embassy in Washington calling the blacklisting “discriminatory”, insisting its firms comply within the laws of the nations they operate in.

London's BYD bus fleet is worth an estimated £480million, with each vehicle costing £400,000 brand new.

Chinese-made EVs are essentially locked out of the American market, as they are subject to one of President Donald Trump’s 100 per cent tariffs.

In Whitehall, China has been described as an “epoch-defining and systemic challenge” by the Foreign Office.

The National Cyber Security Centre’s chief executive, Richard Horne, has emphasised while criminal ransomware attacks are a serious issue to almost all British organisations, threats from states such as China and Russia are the “most advanced”.

Despite these concerns, it appears the conversations are happening predominantly in specialist echo chambers.

Mr Tjomsland said: “These discussions are held by engineers, and engineers only.

“There's no regulator and no political science in the room. We are creating a vulnerable society, and the politicians have no clue what is happening.”

Regulation in this space is desperately behind, with Mr Tjomsland describing it as “very immature”.

Mr Indstøy told the People's Channel he had been invited to the UK to speak to a select committee on the issue, concluding from the discussion “the regulatory side is way behind”.

Reform UK’s Deputy Leader Richard Tice said the move to use BYD buses in London has left Britons “at the mercy of the CCP”.

He told Britain's News Channel: “Net Zero stupidity poses yet another serious risk to our national security.

“Thanks to the Tories and Labour abandoning our domestic motor industry, China is now flooding UK roads with electric buses built by a Chinese company and leaving millions of Brits at the mercy of the CCP.

“This is a total surrender. The Government should move to ban Chinese EVs like these that present a credible national security threat and start investing in our own industries.”

The Government confirmed back in 2025 there are no centralised restrictions on Chinese-made EVs entering Ministry of Defence areas.

The admission came in response to a parliamentary question from Conservative peer Lord Andrew Robathan, who asked if there were any limits placed on the movement of Chinese EVs on Ministry of Defence sites.

Defence minister Lord Vernon Coaker responded: “The Ministry of Defence takes the security of defence assets very seriously and is working with other Government departments to understand and mitigate any potential threats to national security from vehicles.

“Our policies and procedures take account of the potential threats from all types of vehicle, not just those manufactured in China, and we have issued appropriate internal directions to all drivers and passengers.

“There are no centrally mandated policy restrictions on the movement of Chinese-manufactured vehicles.

“We are aware that individual defence organisations may have stricter requirements relating to electric vehicles on some sites, but we do not provide specific details for security reasons.”

An MoD spokesman said: "The security of defence assets is a top priority for this Government.

“We regularly review security policies for vehicle users and passengers, alongside providing security guidance to all staff and personnel.”

New rules are being brought in requiring carmakers and bus manufacturers to protect their vehicles from cyber threats, while managing software updates safely.

However, the framework raises questions of its own – chiefly over who carries responsibility when a vehicle is built by more than one company, as with BYD buses.

It also appears to have done little to address the concern raised by Nordic analysts: the rules are designed to keep outside hackers out, not to govern the access a manufacturer keeps for itself.

Beyond the security issue, the silent handover of manufacturing the iconic London bus to the Chinese feels at odds with Mr Burnham’s ambition to “reindustrialise Britain”.

After stepping into No10 in July, the Labour leader vowed to put “life’s essentials back under stronger public control” and “reindustrialise Britain using public procurement to back British industry”.

The Scottish bus manufacturer, Alexander Dennis Ltd, partnered with BYD in October 2015, jointly producing the Sino-Scot hybrid model, Enviro400EV.

While this partnership may bring some relief as a London bus model is still being built on British soil, the electronic “brain” and connectivity on which security concerns hinge are Chinese-made.

Crucially, the drivetrain, battery and battery management system are developed by BYD.

More broadly, China’s influence on the UK continues to strengthen, with its super-embassy in London on course to begin construction after a High Court challenge was dismissed last month.

Critics fear the mega-diplomatic building could become a “power centre” for the CCP.

The super-embassy is due to be built on the site of the Royal Mint, where British Sterling was produced from 1809 until 1967.

Asked whether their revelations had changed how they view technology, Mr Indstøy predicted "a bumpy ride" ahead, while Mr Tjomsland admitted it had made even choosing a car harder.

"If I were to buy a car, I'm not sure what it would be these days," he told GB News.

"Probably an old Land Rover."

GB News has reached out to BYD for comment.

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Andy Burnham has shared his horror over wildfires raging through the West Midlands, warning that “Britain is a tinderbox right now”.

The Prime Minister was speaking during a visit to Stourbridge, where 54 people were left injured during the “apocalyptic” scenes.

There are currently 37 significant incidents across England and Wales, with four classed as major wildfire incidents.

Addressing the incident after meeting some of those affected, Mr Burnham said the scenes were “utterly devastating” for people who had been forced out of their homes and “lost everything”.

He praised firefighters, police and ambulance crews working across the country, saying thousands of firefighters were carrying out “backbreaking work” in extreme heat.

Describing the devastation he saw in Stourbridge, the Prime Minister admitted the scale of destruction had shocked him.

“I've never seen anything like it,” he revealed.

“When I dealt with wildfires in Greater Manchester, but nothing on this scale, I've never seen scenes like this in Britain, where you just see a whole house gutted. Smouldering.”

“You can imagine how distressing that is for them, and you feel for them that kids have had to go elsewhere.

“It's just unbelievably devastating for people in this position.”

The Prime Minister said the Government had deployed military personnel to support the major incidents, and had also commissioned national aerial firefighting support.

He said emergency financial aid would be provided to badly affected fire and rescue services, while the insurance industry has assured victims they will receive immediate support.

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• Second train derails from tracks less than 24 hours after 20 left injured
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• Bridget Phillipson slams Clacton by-election as ‘stunt’ and rejects likeness to PM's Makerfield win

Mr Burnham said the various support packages were aimed at getting those hit by the fires “back to where they should be as soon as possible”.

Nevertheless, he also urged people to remain vigilant as the fires continue, warning the situation was “not over by any means”.

“We've got 37 fires smouldering around the country so that it could be more,” he said.

“Please, everybody take the greatest of care. In fact, don't light anything in an outdoor space right now.”

A temporary ban on disposable barbecues has also taken effect, with Mr Burnham urging the public not to light fires or bonfires and to take extreme care when disposing of cigarettes.

“Britain is a tinderbox right now,” he warned.

The Prime Minister also used his visit to warn of the wider impact of climate change, saying the Government needed to ensure fire and rescue services were properly equipped to deal with increasingly severe weather.

“We need to face up to the changing climate”, he said, calling for the transition to clean energy to accelerate.

Siren sounds blared from mobile phones across England without warning this evening as part of Britain's national emergency alert system.

At around 7pm, a "severe alert" was issued by the UK Government, ordering the public not to light anything that could spark a fire, including disposable barbecues which have been temporarily banned by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

MORE TO FOLLOW...

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Martin Daubney has clashed with human rights lawyer Shoaib Khan on how to crack down on online ‘mega dinghy” markets that could be supplying people smugglers.

The pair locked horns over whether increasingly large inflatable boats advertised online should be targeted as part of efforts to tackle Channel crossings.

Mr Khan questioned whether the sale of such boats should automatically be treated as suspicious.

“I’m not sure how sensible that really is,” he said, arguing simply seeing an advertisement did not prove the craft was intended for criminal activity.

An incredulous Martin hit back, questioning whether anyone genuinely believed the huge vessels were being bought for recreational purposes.

“So you think these lads are just going out for a little spot of fishing in the English Channel, do you?” he asked.

The GB News host pointed to 15-metre dinghies capable of carrying huge numbers of people, arguing their emergence was closely linked to the Channel migrant crisis.

“Who ordered the 15-metre black dinghy to go fishing with the chaps? Answer. Nobody,” he said.

“Have you ever in your life seen 230 lads on a 15-metre dinghy? Just having a couple of cans and did a bit of fishing.

“Come on, this is fantasy land,” Martin exclaimed.

“If we get bigger and bigger craft that are easier and easier for rank amateurs and criminals to get hold of, it’s going to lead to more disasters in the Channel,” he said.

“Surely you want to stop these things being sold, mate.”

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Andy Burnham issues dire warning as nation tackles wildfires: ‘Britain is a tinderbox right now’
• Richard Tice brands opponents ‘chickens’ as he addresses chance of second Clacton by-election
• Bridget Phillipson slams Clacton by-election as ‘stunt’ and rejects likeness to PM's Makerfield win

Mr Khan agreed the crossings needed to stop but argued the focus should be on why people were trying to reach Britain rather than restricting access to the boats themselves.

“Everyone wants it to stop,” he insisted.

Nevertheless, he dismissed the idea of pursuing the sale of large inflatable boats as “ridiculous”.

“To me personally, that's ridiculous. It's quite a ridiculous discussion,” Mr Khan said.

The human rights lawyer asked Martin what the threshold should be for cracking down on the sales.

“Ten metres, is that acceptable? Is eight metres acceptable to you? Would that finally just be okay?”

“If too many people start coming by plane, then do we say, 'Oh, maybe we need to stop selling on my planes.’”

Martin hit back: “Because it's completely incomparable to compare a recognised safe mode of transport like an aeroplane with a dodgy dinghy... anyone could buy with no experience, no licence, no proof of identity or who they are. It's absurd!”

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Labour has confirmed that it remains committed to banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by the end of the decade, as it considers overhauling a number of its electric car targets.

The Government published a consultation about the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate this afternoon as it considers relaxing many targets to protect British businesses.

One of the key differences proposed is to ease the 2030 deadline to have 80 per cent of car sales be electric, with options to maintain this target or reduce it to as little as 50 per cent.

The consultation document states that the UK Government remains committed to ending the sale of new cars that rely entirely on internal combustion engines by 2030.

READ MORE: Labour outlines major changes to electric car targets despite massive industry backlash

It acknowledged that changes had been made to the original target by allowing new cars that were "at least hybridised in some manner" to remain on sale past 2030.

Cars powered by petrol or diesel do not meet this definition, nor do those classed as mild hybrid electric vehicles.

The consultation stated that the Government was "unwavering" in its phase-out of petrol and diesel cars by 2030, while all new cars and vans must be zero emission by 2035.

The Department for Transport added that the 2030 phase-out data was "critical" for longer-term consumer confidence and investment signals.

Anna Krajinska, T&E UK Director, warned that slashing the 2030 electric vehicle sales target would "leave Britain behind in the global electric race".

She noted that it could also lead to three million fewer EVs on our roads, while also "locking drivers into years of expensive and volatile petrol and diesel prices".

The consultation aims to hear views on how the UK will get to a place where it can successfully phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by the end of the decade.

It also asks whether the existing annual targets for manufacturers remain appropriate, with a goal to review the ZEV mandate by 2027.

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Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: "The automotive industry is fully committed to a zero-emission future, investing billions in new technologies, products and incentives.

"However, with the ZEV mandate conceived under vastly different conditions, this welcome review is a timely opportunity to adjust the transition so it works for all.

"That means a commercially sustainable transition which supports UK competitiveness, investment and jobs whilst delivering greater choice and affordability for motorists - the sooner, the better."

The consultation launched today (August 14) and will end on October 23, 2026.

Andy Burnham has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbeques.

The Prime Minister argues they pose a "significant risk to the public" during the current drought and heatwave conditions.

Speaking on the ban, which comes into force today, he said: "We ask retailers to implement the ban in full until further notice."

Mr Burnham added that his message to the public was not to light an open fire “of any kind” and to dispose of cigarettes carefully amid a “combustible” situation.

The Prime Minister said: "You are taking risks with other people’s home, with other people’s lives, if you act recklessly."

An "emergency financial support" package is being drawn up for fire services battling the summer wildfires.

Firefighting planes to combat the spread of wildfires will also be used by the Government.

Mr Burnham claimed this new strategy "would have made a difference” in tackling the Stourbridge blaze.

The UK is currently experiencing its fifth widespread heatwave of the year.

More To Follow...

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Andy Burnham has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbeques.

The Prime Minister argues they pose a "significant risk to the public" during the current drought and heatwave conditions.

Speaking on the ban, which comes into force today, he said: "We ask retailers to implement the ban in full until further notice."

Mr Burnham added that his message to the public was not to light an open fire “of any kind” and to dispose of cigarettes carefully amid a “combustible” situation.

The Prime Minister said: "You are taking risks with other people’s home, with other people’s lives, if you act recklessly."

The UK is currently experiencing its fifth widespread heatwave of the year.

More To Follow...

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Bridget Phillipson has slammed the Clacton by-election as a “ridiculous stunt” after Nigel Farage was re-elected to the Essex seat.

Speaking to GB News, the Labour Party chair rejected comparisons to Andy Burnham’s path to No10, which began with a victory in the Makerfield by-election.

Mr Farage won with 22,239 votes in Clacton, where the other major parties did not field candidates.

“The people of Clacton have decided who they want to represent them and that's our democracy,” Ms Phillipson began.

However, the Labour minister stressed that her party had no interest in taking part in the exercise.

“We were never going to be a part of this ridiculous stunt that (Mr) Farage was responsible for causing,” she said.

GB News host Ellie Costello jumped in, asking: “You've described Clacton as a ridiculous stunt pulled by Nigel Farage. How was Makerfield not a ridiculous stunt?”

“That was also a by-election that didn't need to happen. That was because one man wanted to return to Westminster.

“He has now walked into No10 without any public scrutiny and without any contest. Only 24,000 people have voted for him in Makerfield. Does he have any mandate to run this country?”

“Of course he does,” Ms Phillipson shot back.

“The difference was that you had a member of Parliament there who stood down. It wasn't the same Member of Parliament seeking re-election in a seat that they already held.

“What Andy Burnham is being clear about is that he's focused on the things that really matter to the British people, whether that's revitalising our high streets or the changes that we're seeing around the cost of living.

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“That's the work that we've been engaged in over the summer, rather than focusing on this stunt in Clacton.”

“But this MP's decision to stand aside was all manufactured,” Home and Security Editor Mark White interjected.

“It didn't need to happen. Just like you say, the Clacton by-election didn't need to happen.”

“Well, people can have their opinions, but that Member of Parliament did stand down. Andy Burnham was elected in the by-election,” the Labour chair responded.

“It was a fantastic result, a really brilliant result and shows what we can achieve against Reform,” she insisted.

Nevertheless, Ms Phillipson added: “I think it's also right that we didn't stand a candidate in Clacton.”

The Labour Chair also stressed that there was “no hiding place now for Nigel Farage on these really big questions that he refuses to answer.”

“People want to know exactly what's going on around the funding of his party, around the sleaze that's engulfing them, and he refuses to answer their questions. Well, there's no excuse now.”

Labour has announced changes to its electric car targets in a bid to change the "pathway to reach zero emission driving by 2035" with the launch of a new consultation.

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate outlines that a certain percentage of new car sales must be powered by an electric powertrain.

Under original plans, manufacturers needed to have 33 per cent of sales come from zero emission sources, with further goals of 80 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035.

Labour has now launched a consultation on the ZEV mandate, which will include questions on how the UK can meet the 2030 deadline to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles.

It outlined that it had a "long-standing" commitment to review the ZEV mandate by 2027, and has invited the industry to respond to its consultation.

Terms included in the consultation suggest that the 80 per cent target for 2030 could be maintained, or reduced to 70 per cent, 60 per cent, or 50 per cent.

It could also be kept at 80 per cent with flexibilities, including trading credits, to be extended until 2034.

Similarly, the 70 per cent sales target for vans for 2030 could be maintained, or reduced to 60 per cent, 50 per cent or 40 per cent.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander noted that electric car sales remained strong, with more than 160,000 drivers making use of the Government's Electric Car Grant.

Despite this, she said it was "right" that targets were kept under review to "ensure they're practical and back British industry".

"The end goal hasn't changed - but we need to take business with us on the journey, and that's exactly what we're doing today, by making sure industry has the chance to shape how we get there," she added.

The ZEV mandate consultation has launched today (August 14) and will run until October 23, with the Government expected to act on the feedback provided over the following months.

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In response to the plans, Tanya Sinclair, CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, said: "There is a remarkable cognitive dissonance in a Government who is asking whether we should extend the availability of polluting vehicles amid our hottest summer on record.

"It hasn't rained for weeks, our ground is parched, air quality is poor. Electric vehicles are the most powerful public health and climate change intervention we have to mitigate these changes, as much as we’re able.

"And to top it off, they are cheaper to buy and drive, and fantastically equipped with the latest tech. It's all upside, so why isn't this government doing everything in its power to enable their uptake?"

This was echoed by Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, who stated that the ZEV mandate was working, and that any changes to the policy could "send exactly the wrong message".

MORE TO FOLLOW...

More than 50 masked protesters gathered outside Clacton Town Hall just minutes before Nigel Farage sealed his by-election victory, GB News can reveal.

In photographs seen by GB News, the black-clad group stood outside one of the seaside seat's polling stations wearing Union Jack face masks.

The demonstration, which was orchestrated by an anonymous artist known as Mr Phantom, took place just 15 minutes from the by-election count at Clacton Leisure Centre.

Mr Farage, who received 22,239 votes in the by-election, did not attend the count after Essex Police told the Reform UK leader yesterday about an "organised campaign" to "disrupt the result".

Essex Police did not deny Mr Farage's claim and GB News understands officers were aware of the flash mob demonstration.

It is not known if the flash mob was the "organised campaign" which prompted the force to contact Mr Farage.

However, Essex Police reported no issues outside Clacton Town Hall this morning.

The Reform UK leader confirmed he was not going to attend the Clacton count while addressing supporters at a post-polling day party dubbed "Farage Fest".

Mr Farage said: "I've stood in many elections, general elections, European elections, and now a second by-election.

"And, every time, I really enjoy going to the count. It's exciting; it's dramatic. You're on the stage; it's something to be at.

"I'm sad to say that after 33 years of being a candidate in active politics, I've been advised tonight, by Essex Police, that there is an organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result that will take place in a few hours' time."

He added: "I'm not scared of these people, far from it, but I'm damned if I'm going to stand on the stage, having won a resounding victory, a ringing endorsement, which I tried to fight for, and you tried to fight for, be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies, and I will not, sadly, attend the count."

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A Reform UK spokesman later went further by claiming Essex Police directly advised Mr Farage not to attend the Clacton count.

However, GB News understands Essex Police did not tell Mr Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We have a full and robust policing operation in place around the Clacton by-election, as we do with all significant elections in our county."

"There were no incidents or issues throughout yesterday and into the early hours of this morning," the force's spokesman added.

Police vehicles were parked outside Clacton Leisure Centre throughout the night and officers continued to patrol outside the building.

Meanwhile, a private security firm managed operations inside the venue.

Mr Phantom's antics in Clacton were the latest in a series of provocative works, including Blind Nationalism and Follow The Leader.

The anonymous artist, who does not describe himself as party political, claims he uses imagery that deliberately plays on themes of national identity, political tribalism and the tendency of people to follow political leaders as a group.

Mr Farage has been targeted in a series of incidents throughout his political career, including as early as 2013 when he was evacuated out of an Edinburgh pub by riot police.

He was also covered in milkshake while campaigning for the Brexit Party in Newcastle in 2019.

Mr Farage was doused in milkshake for a second time in June 2024 as he left a pub in Clacton-on-Sea.

A separate incident, which also took place during the general election campaign, saw a man hurl objects at Reform UK's battle bus in Barnsley.

Richard Tice has branded Reform UK’s political opponents “cowardly chickens” as he addressed the prospect of a second Clacton by-election.

Speaking to GB News, the Reform Deputy Leader reacted after Nigel Farage triumphed in the contest, which no other major party contested.

Mr Farage triggered the election after resigning as MP amid a parliamentary probe into donations he had received, pitching the vote as a “people vs establishment” battle.

He secured 22,239 votes while his closest rival, a satirical candidate named Count Binface, received 9,455.

“It's a fantastic result,” Mr Tice began in the hours after his party’s victory.

“Not only has Nigel increased his vote share very dramatically from 46 to some 63 per cent, but to secure a thousand more votes than he got in 2024 on a turnout that is some 14 per cent is truly remarkable and unprecedented.

“It shows the good voters of Clacton actually said to the establishment, they've said to the mainstream media, all of the naysayers: ‘Actually, not only do we want more, we want Nigel’.

“That is the key message. It's a huge result,” he insisted.

After his Clacton victory, the probe into Mr Farage was automatically reopened, which, depending on the findings, could eventually force another contest.

“We clearly have a parliamentary inquiry underway against Nigel Farage, and the possibility of a sanction that could lead to another by-election in Clacton,” GB News Home and Security Editor Mark White began.

“What would you say to your political opponents who may well be reaching for that particular option?”

“They're the ones who would then be wasting a £250,000,” Mr Tice shot back.

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“They're the ones who had the chance to have a contest against Nigel and they're the ones who bottled it.”

Performing an impression of a chicken, including fanning his arms to mimic wings, Mr Tice declared: “They’re like cowardly chickens! They had the chance. They abandoned it.

“Kemi Badenoch panicked and sent a letter to the Clacton constituents saying: ‘Maybe I slightly regret not putting a candidate, but don't vote for Nigel.

“I mean, the whole thing is just cowardice, pure cowardice on their behalf.”

Addressing criticism from mainstream parties following Mr Farage’s victory, the Reform Deputy Leader slammed: “How discourteous was it of the Labour Party, of the Tories and the Lib Dems to not put candidates up?

“Essentially, they were just cocking a snoop at the good voters of Clacton and said: ‘You don't matter.’

“Well, actually, they do matter. Nigel asked them the question, and they have said, as I say, we want more, Nigel, not less Nigel.”

Mr Tice then turned his attention to Andy Burnham, joining growing criticism of the new Prime Minister dodging parliamentary scrutiny since entering No10 three weeks ago.

“A government leads us with a prime minister, who's essentially taken over running the country in a literal coup with no electoral mandate whatsoever.

“He is a man who will face almost no scrutiny in the House of Commons except on a couple of appearances before mid-October."

“It’s utterly disgraceful,” the Reform Deputy Leader fumed.

Andy Burnham has been dealt a further by-election blow - aside from Clacton- with the Liberal Democrats flipping a council seat from Labour, as well as another from Reform UK.

The Lib Dems saw success in Devon and in Yorkshire, in a boost for Sir Ed Davey's party, who have flatlined in recent polls after being leapfrogged by Reform and the Greens.

Reacting to the results, Sir Ed said: "Miles away from Farage’s stunt in Clacton, Liberal Democrats are beating Labour in Devon and Reform in Yorkshire. Stunning victories for hard working liberals - who turned up to their counts!"

The People's Channel has dissected the two by elections and what they mean for the state of the parties.

Hointon St Michael's (East Devon)

Firstly, on East Devon Council, Rhys Wallis emerged victorious for the Liberal Democrats, taking the Hointon St Michael's ward once held by former Labour councillor Violet Bonetta.

Mr Wallis won the by-election with 727 votes, with a majority of 326 over Reform UK’s Humphrey Clemens, who received 401 votes.

Conservatives candidate Paul Carter received 326 votes, independent Jo Fotheringham 74, Labour’s Jack Stacey 55, with independent candidate John Taylor getting just 19.

A total of 1,602 ballot papers were issued from an electorate of 5,583, producing a turnout of 28.7 per cent, with zero ballots rejected.

Speaking to the Midweek Herald, the Liberal Democrat said: "I want to thank all of those who did turn out and back me in this campaign, but also everybody who turned out to vote in this by-election.

"Honiton has had quite a few elections in recent years, so it’s good to see people turning out to express their democratic views.

"I am a Liberal Democrat, but I will try and represent everyone in Honiton St Michael’s to the best of my ability."

At Westminster, the newly-created Honiton and Sidmouth constituency is represented by former Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Richard Foord, who won the seat at the 2024 General Election with a majority of 6,700 over journalist-turned-Conservative MP for East Devon, Simon Jupp.

Since 2019, the council has been under no overall control, run by a coalition of the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Independent councillors.

Almondbury (Kirklees)

In a blow for Reform UK in Yorkshire, Sir Ed Davey's party emerged victorious in a by-election in Almondbury, which was called after Craig Wiles confirmed would be standing down from his role due to "health".

Victorious Lib Dem candidate Paola Davies got 1749 votes, defeating Reform's Graham Haigh with a majority of 671.

The Conservatives finished third, with Robert William Anthony McGuin securing 528 votes. The Green Party's Sa'Dia Mosaddeq received 347 votes, while Labour's Navraj Singh Hare polled 181.

Independent candidate Marquis Craven finished sixth with 103 votes.

Councillor Davies said: "What I would like most is to bring the positive message back for Almondbury.

"A lot of the candidates who've come in from outside of Almondbury to campaign, campaigned on a really negative 'Almondbury needs fixing, Almondbury needs sorting out'.

"I know Almondbury, I've been there for seven years already, there are some fantastic things going on, some fantastic things being done. It has its problems, yes, there's more that can be done. I'd like to go back to what I was doing before, and build on it."

While the result strengthens the Lib Dem presence on Kirklees Council, Reform remains the largest party, technically it remains in no overall control, with the party's Sarah Wood as council leader.

Labour's Harpreet Uppal won the corresponding Huddersfield seat at the 2024 General Election, beating Green Party candidate Andrew Cooper with a majority of 4,533.

Drought-resistant crops could be banned under Labour's EU reset deal, it has been revealed.

An easing of restrictions on precision-bred organisms (PBOs) has been highlighted by key Leave supporters as a post-Brexit benefit.

The process, which involves inserting new genes into crops, such as wheat, barley or potatoes, can be used to improve the robustness of crops, which could in turn make them more resilient to drought conditions.

However, under Sir Keir Starmer's previous talks with the EU, Britain could be forced to impose tougher restrictions on PBOs, in line with Brussels regulations.

A new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement between the UK and EU would mean fewer checks, restrictions and paperwork on exports of food to the Continent, streamlining the process for British businesses selling to the bloc.

However, under the proposed deal, the UK would need to follow European rules on food safety, which includes a ban on PBOs.

Labour MP for South Norfolk Ben Goldsborough told The Telegraph the issue was a "real red line" for himself and his constituents, as well as backbenchers who represent rural constituencies.

He said: "In our future SPS agreement with the EU, we must not blink on precision breeding. We’re going to see more extremes of weather, more drought conditions, more flood conditions, which all make the issue of pests and disease even worse.

"We’ve got first mover advantage in the world, and we need to protect it to the hilt."

British scientists have been working to develop food technology since Brexit.

Among the crops currently in development are bananas that do not go brown and tastier salad leaves.

As farmers deal with disappointing yields due to higher than average temperatures, agricultural scientists are looking to develop pest-resistant and drought-resistant plants.

This includes disease-proof potatoes, more nutritious cow feed, and healthier flour.

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Discovery leader at Rothamsted Research Prof Johnathan Napier said: "The need for drought-tolerant crops is staring us in the face, with yields this year already significantly decreased.

"Currently, we don’t know any details about how the new EU regulations might be implemented and we have no mechanism to influence EU deliberations.

"Crucially, the EU’s new position on gene editing is more restrictive than the UK’s.

"This seems like a very backward step and one that is depressing for all of us who are trying to develop crops that are resilient to drought and tolerant to more challenging climates."

Under current Brussels rules, precision-bred crops are effectively classified as genetically modified, meaning they are all but outlawed across the bloc, which voted in June to end the ban, but new rules which allow them to be developed in Europe will not come into effect until 2028.

A Government spokesman said: "We are clear that precision breeding offers a huge potential to boost food security, cut pesticide use, increase crop yields and enhance disease resistance.

"The EU has accepted that there needs to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. We are negotiating those now and won’t provide a running commentary on negotiations.

"What we will do is secure a deal worth up to £5.1billion a year for the British economy and deliver the best outcome for the British people."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being told to let retirees "sacrifice" their state pension payments in exchange for a prestigious Office of the British Empire (OBE).

A think tank with close ties to Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged him to create a "pensions sacrifice OBE" scheme, enabling affluent retirees to voluntarily forgo their state pension for a minimum of three years in return for an honour.

The proposal comes from Compass, which has compiled a 100-policy blueprint for Mr Burnham's first 100 days in office, according to a report seen by The Independent. The document will be released in three instalments over the coming weeks.

Compass is led by Neal Lawson, who co-founded Mainstream Labour, the faction established in August 2025 with Mr Burnham's backing as he prepared to mount a challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.

The proposal is in response to Britain's deepening pension crisis, fuelled by an ageing population, falling birth rates and a dwindling workforce.

Concerningly, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has identified the state pension as the single biggest element of welfare expenditure, forecasting that costs will rise by 2.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) between 2028/29 and 2073/74.

Much of that increase is driven by demographic shifts and the triple-lock mechanism, which guarantees pensions grow annually by the highest of average earnings growth, CPI inflation, or 2.5 per cent.

Compass said the voluntary opt-out would be "modelled on the altruism of groups like Patriotic Millionaires", a nonpartisan body of wealthy individuals that campaigns for higher taxation on the rich, improved worker pay and reduced economic inequality.

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Chancellor John Healey has promised that his upcoming Autumn Budget on October 28 will be"built on fiscal discipline".

Mr Burnham must contend with a defence spending shortfall of at least £4.7billion inherited from Sir Keir Starmer's plans, alongside pressure to fund care system reforms, raise taxes or increase borrowing.

Economic growth remains sluggish, partly as a consequence of the Iran war, while cost of living pressures continue to mount.

The Prime Minister has already made several early spending commitments since entering Downing Street, including a 20 per cent reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues, a VAT cut on electricity bills and a £2 cap on bus fares from January.

The business rate cuts alone carry an estimated annual price tag of £100million, with no clear funding source identified.

Beyond the pensions proposal, Compass is pressing Mr Burnham to introduce wealth taxes: a two per cent levy on assets exceeding £1million and a further charge of between five and ten per cent on fortunes above £10million.

The think tank argues that revenue from these measures would fund a universal basic income for those most in need. The report also calls for "emergency decarbonisation action", proposing a 50mph speed limit for petrol and diesel vehicles.

Additionally, Compass recommends establishing a national maternity fund inspired by Denmark's DA Barsel scheme, under which every employer contributes a modest quarterly payment per worker into a central pot.

A petition calling on Labour to block the early release of two men convicted of killing PC Andrew Harper has hit one million signatures.

The petition is calling for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Justice Secretary Alex Norris to prevent two out of three of PC Harper’s killers, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, from walking free.

Mr Burnham has ordered Justice Secretary Alex Norris to draw up plans to free up prison space for serious offenders.

The Prime Minister added he is “increasingly confident" PC Harper’s killers will not be released early from their sentences as a result.

PC Harper was fatally injured when he got caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and was dragged down a country road as the killers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019.

Bowers and Cole are set to be released next year halfway through their 13-year sentences, after being convicted of manslaughter in 2020.

Before this year’s Sentencing Act, they would have served two-thirds of their term.

Mr Burnham previously said he had “pushed the very limits” in the changes he had made to the early release scheme but has now said he can go further.

The petition was set up by the chairman of the Thames Valley Police Federation, Aileen O'Connor, who previously told GB News: "The public support is absolutely unbelievable and really at the heart of this and the heart of this petition and what I'm fighting for.

"Because this isn't just a couple of 100 or a couple of thousand cops up and down the country that are outraged about this. This is the great British public that are behind that campaign and that feel as strongly as what I do.

"This is what my members and cops up and down this country feel, the justice hasn't been served for PC Andrew Harper.

"I am eternally grateful for those individuals that have taken the time to do that. But I'm not done. We're not there and we haven't had the change in the legislation. We haven't had a guarantee that this won't happen."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• PC Harper's mother issues urgent message to Andy Burnham on GB News as killers set for early release
• Every police chief in Britain orders Andy Burnham to stop PC Harper's killers walking free
• Andy Burnham issues new update on PC Harper case as he vows more action on foreign criminals

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has come under pressure from 50 policing leaders from across the UK to use "every lawful option" to prevent the early release of PC Harper’s killers.

A letter from chief constables and other law enforcement leaders also called on Mr Burnham to "establish an additional public protection safeguard" for the most serious offenders when future early release schemes are floated.

The chiefs, who included Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson and National Crime Agency director general Graeme Biggar, also said families and victims "must be properly considered whenever significant changes are made to sentencing or release arrangements".

Mr Burnham ordered a review of the early release scheme under the Sentencing Act shortly after taking office, but while changes were announced to prevent rapists and paedophiles from being released early, the measures did not cover PC Harper’s killers.

Asked by LBC he would directly say to PC Harper's widow, Mr Burnham replied: “That I hear you, I feel for you. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t do everything I possibly could to try and lessen your anguish, and I am doing that.

"I am turning over every stone. I am looking at everything. I am pushing the system to go further."

The Prime Minister added: “That’s the way I go about my job. I listen to people.

"I continually push myself and the system to do more. In this instance, I think there is more that can be done."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Reform UK has accused Britain's mainstream political parties of "pure cowardice" after refusing to show up for voters in Clacton.

Mr Farage resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift he received before becoming an MP.

The other main Westminster parties boycotted the by-election entirely, though Mr Farage could face them in a potential second vote at a later date.

But Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice told GB News that the second by-election "would never need to be called" because "the good voters have made their position very, very clear".

He said it was "disgraceful" how people like Kemi Badenoch "seem to have prejudged the outcome of this standards investigation by saying there will be a second by-election", adding: "Surely you're innocent until proven guilty."

Mr Farage "called out" the Establishment - "and they didn't even have the courtesy to have a a proper electoral contest. Why? Because they knew that he would lose", Mr Tice added.

He said Mrs Badenoch may regret not putting forward a candidate, saying the "whole thing was just pure cowardice on their behalf".

"How discourteous was it of the Labour Party, of the Tories and the Lib Dems to not put candidates up? Essentially, they were just cocking a snoop at the good voters of Clacton... [saying] you don't matter. Well, actually, they do matter," he added.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY...

Furious Labour AGAIN claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals'

"Let’s be clear: this is no victory for Nigel Farage," Labour chairwoman Bridget Phillipson has just said in a very similar statement to the one she released last night.

"The mountain of sleaze and scandal he and Reform are now engulfed in has grown and grown while he’s been trying to distract the public by fighting a by-election against a bin.

"This morning, Nigel Farage shouldn’t be celebrating – he should wake up and smell the coffee. He must come clean with the public and put all the facts on the table over his secret £5million gift, his relationship with a convicted fraudster, and the other scandals his party is drowning in.

"Farage's distraction by-election doesn’t clear his name - it just shows he likely has so much more to hide."

If Labour does choose to fight against Mr Farage in a potential second by-election in Clacton, the party will have to improve on its meagre 16.2 per cent vote share to beat him.

In 2024, the party managed fewer votes than Count Binface did last night - and has only slid in nationwide opinion polls ever since.

Richard Tice: 'Nigel Farage would have loved to have been at the count... but security is paramount'

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has said Nigel Farage "would have loved" to have been at the count just now - but "security is paramount".

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Tice was pressed on the claims and counter-claims made through the night over the nature of a "credible threat" against his party leader.

"It was judged by Nigel's team that there were sufficient concerns," he said. "I don't think anybody should question his and his team's judgement on that."

"I think we should trust those who keep Nigel safe and alive... If a credible threat or a deep anxiety is perceived, they're going to err on the side of caution."

The Reform heavyweight referenced Ann Widdecombe's death last month as he warned of a heightened risk to Mr Farage, adding: "It's a shame, he would've loved to have been there - but security is paramount."

'The people have spoken - and they want Nigel Farage!' Reform UK reacts after Clacton wipeout

Nadhim Zahawi, who defected to Reform UK in January, has hailed this morning's result as a "resounding victory".

"It’s the people’s movement. The people - 22,239 - have spoken and they want Nigel Farage and Reform UK," he said.

Nigel Farage secures more votes than 2024

Nigel Farage secured more votes at tonight's by-election than he did at the General Election - despite a much lower turnout.

The Reform UK leader took home just short of 63 per cent of the total vote share - which passed the test set by his party for a "big win".

Gawain Towler, who sits on Reform's board, last night outlined the conditions for what would mark a milestone victory tonight in Clacton.

Mr Farage needed just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said, adding that anything north of that number would be that "big win".

BREAKING: Nigel Farage WINS Clacton by-election

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election - and will return to the Commons to face a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner...

Nigel Farage cancels victory speech

Reform UK has cancelled a victory speech which was set to be given by Nigel Farage later this morning.

Mr Farage, who had been awake for quite some time by the point he spoke to GB News, had organised a press conference in Clacton following his expected by-election victory in a few minutes.

A Reform spokesman said: "The speech due to be delivered from 10.30am tomorrow has been cancelled. Nigel Farage has already commented on the expected result of the by-election."

Essex Police 'did not advise any candidate that they should not attend the count'

It is now being widely reported that Essex Police did not advise any candidate that they should not attend the count, directly contradicting Reform UK's statement.

Nigel Farage himself has only mentioned an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the count - but his party specifically mentioned a "credible threat" against him.

Amid fears of 'threat'... Nigel Farage pays respects to Ann Widdecombe ahead of vote declaration

Nigel Farage took a moment of reflection to mourn Ann Widdecombe in a speech before the result of tonight's by-election was announced.

In a poignant moment in an otherwise joyous speech to supporters, the Reform UK leader said Miss Widdecombe was a woman of "deep Christian conviction".

"I want us to remember, in a solemn moment, that yesterday [Wednesday] was the funeral of Ann Widdecombe," he said.

Ms Widdecombe, a former Tory minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on July 8, aged 78.

A high-profile murder investigation into her killing has since reached the courts, with 28-year-old Joshua Kerry remanded in custody after appearing at the Old Bailey charged with her murder.

His provisional trial date has been listed for June 8 next year.

A small private ceremony was held for Ms Widdecombe at Buckfast Abbey, in Buckfastleigh, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, earlier this week.

On the day of the funeral, Mr Farage said she was "an extraordinary woman who left a serious mark on British politics" and "will be sorely missed".

"Rest in peace, Ann," he added.

Reform UK: 'The Westminster Establishment judged this COMPLETELY wrong'

"The fact that more people voted today than the local elections shows how the people of Clacton were motivated by the prospect of endorsing Nigel," a Reform UK source has just said.

They added that voters were also motivated by "how the Westminster Establishment judged this by-election completely wrong."

Earlier, Reform MP Andrew Rosindell said the party "is under attack in so many areas".

"The Labour Party and the Conservative Party are terrified that we can win the election next time," he told GB News.

"They are trying to do everything they can to drag Nigel down... This is not just about the Standards Committee investigation. This is about politics being on a level playing field in this country."

Essex Police addresses 'credible threat against Nigel Farage' fears to GB News

Essex Police has just addressed fears of a "credible threat" to Nigel Farage with just minutes remaining until the result of tonight's by-election.

"We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count," a spokesman told GB News.

And speaking to The People's Channel just now, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said he had "no reason not to proceed with the count process at this time".

Result expected within minutes - count appears to be emptying out in Clacton

The result of tonight's by-election could be announced within the next 30 minutes.

The Clacton Leisure Centre looks to be emptying out - and, barring a recount, we should have a result soon.

As a reminder: Nigel Farage has declared victory already, and will not be attending the reading-out of the result over fears of a "credible threat" against him.

Airport-style security and plenty of police at count location - Katherine Forster

There is airport-style security and a heavy police presence at the Clacton Leisure Centre, where tonight's count is taking place, GB News' chief political correspondent Katherine Forster says.

Organisers insist there is "no issue with continuing the count tonight".

Reform councillor Jaymey McIvor has told the BBC that Nigel Farage "doesn't want to be demeaned or humiliated" when the result is announced.

If he did turn up, he would be lining up alongside 33 other people - largely independents and parody candidates.

Reform UK reveals 'credible threat' behind Nigel Farage withdrawal

Nigel Farage withdrew from the by-election count due to a "credible threat" against him, Reform UK has said.

A party spokesman has just revealed Essex Police "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

It comes as Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer in charge of the by-election, has told Sky News there is "no issue" with the count going ahead.

"We work very closely with Essex Police and will be continuing the count in a safe and secure manner," Mr Davidson said.

"I will not comment on security matters. We've been working closely with Essex Police.

"We just had a further meeting, and there's no issue with continuing the count tonight."

Essex Police haven't yet revealed details of 'campaign to disrupt result'

Essex Police have not yet revealed details of what Nigel Farage has called an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" in Clacton tonight.

GB News has approached the force for more information - we'll bring you any updates as soon as we get them.

RECAP | Robert Jenrick tells GB News: ONLY Prime Minister Nigel Farage can deliver change Britain wants

Robert Jenrick told GB News earlier this evening that Clacton would not simply a "one-off", adding that the "Burnham bounce" doesn't exist.

Mr Jenrick said it was now "neck-and-neck" between Labour and Reform UK, declaring that he stands by his party leader amid talks of a second by-election.

He said: "I know where my constituents stand in Nottinghamshire. They want a big change as well, and that is only going to happen if we get Nigel into No10.

"And tonight it's just the next step on that road. Get Nigel back into Parliament, end this nonsense.

"Look, if there's another by-election that will just look silly, it will all be over. And Nigel can concentrate on the challenge ahead."

Mr Jenrick also shot down any notion that Reform UK had reached its political limit, saying the party had won seats throughout the country.

"Look, for a long time now, people have said, oh, Reform's peaked. It's all over. It's a bubble that's going to burst. It's not happened."

Nigel Farage reveals police warning of attempt to 'disrupt' Clacton by-election count

Nigel Farage has just said he been advised by Essex Police that there is an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result announcement later this morning.

He confirmed he would not attend the count alongside the 33 other candidates present.

If he wins, Mr Farage would be the first victorious by-election candidate since Bobby Sands not attend an election count.

Earlier, the Reform UK leader refused to be drawn on whether he would attend the count.

And in what may have been a hint at the police warning, his colleague Robert Jenrick said Mr Farage was "the bravest person I know" when probed by GB News on whether he would attend.

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election, the vote he has long described as a “people vs Establishment” contest.

Shortly after 6am, Mr Farage was confirmed to have returned to the House of Commons.

He secured 22,239 votes while his closest rival, a satirical candidate named Count Binface, received 9,455.

The other main Westminster parties boycotted the by-election entirely, though Mr Farage could face them in a potential second vote at a later date.

Mr Farage resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift he received before becoming an MP.

That probe was paused when he quit, and will now resume. If he receives a severe disciplinary sanction, he will be forced to face voters once again.

The Reform UK leader told GB News in the early hours he had won “very convincingly” over “Establishment candidate” Count Binface.

But the night was marred by fears of “organised campaign to degrade and disrupt” the count.

Turnout was earlier confirmed at 44.37 per cent, meaning more than 34,000 Britons voted - though that was a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

Mr Farage hailed supporters at a Reform-organised “Farage fest” for coming out in force, claiming before the count he had secured more votes than in 2024.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

BREAKING: Nigel Farage WINS Clacton by-election

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election - and will return to the Commons to face a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner...

Nigel Farage cancels victory speech

Reform UK has cancelled a victory speech which was set to be given by Nigel Farage later this morning.

Mr Farage, who had been awake for quite some time by the point he spoke to GB News, had organised a press conference in Clacton following his expected by-election victory in a few minutes.

A Reform spokesman said: "The speech due to be delivered from 10.30am tomorrow has been cancelled. Nigel Farage has already commented on the expected result of the by-election."

Essex Police 'did not advise any candidate that they should not attend the count'

It is now being widely reported that Essex Police did not advise any candidate that they should not attend the count, directly contradicting Reform UK's statement.

Nigel Farage himself has only mentioned an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the count - but his party specifically mentioned a "credible threat" against him.

Amid fears of 'threat'... Nigel Farage pays respects to Ann Widdecombe ahead of vote declaration

Nigel Farage took a moment of reflection to mourn Ann Widdecombe in a speech before the result of tonight's by-election was announced.

In a poignant moment in an otherwise joyous speech to supporters, the Reform UK leader said Miss Widdecombe was a woman of "deep Christian conviction".

"I want us to remember, in a solemn moment, that yesterday [Wednesday] was the funeral of Ann Widdecombe," he said.

Ms Widdecombe, a former Tory minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on July 8, aged 78.

A high-profile murder investigation into her killing has since reached the courts, with 28-year-old Joshua Kerry remanded in custody after appearing at the Old Bailey charged with her murder.

His provisional trial date has been listed for June 8 next year.

A small private ceremony was held for Ms Widdecombe at Buckfast Abbey, in Buckfastleigh, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, earlier this week.

On the day of the funeral, Mr Farage said she was "an extraordinary woman who left a serious mark on British politics" and "will be sorely missed".

"Rest in peace, Ann," he added.

Reform UK: 'The Westminster Establishment judged this COMPLETELY wrong'

"The fact that more people voted today than the local elections shows how the people of Clacton were motivated by the prospect of endorsing Nigel," a Reform UK source has just said.

They added that voters were also motivated by "how the Westminster Establishment judged this by-election completely wrong."

Earlier, Reform MP Andrew Rosindell said the party "is under attack in so many areas".

"The Labour Party and the Conservative Party are terrified that we can win the election next time," he told GB News.

"They are trying to do everything they can to drag Nigel down... This is not just about the Standards Committee investigation. This is about politics being on a level playing field in this country."

Essex Police addresses 'credible threat against Nigel Farage' fears to GB News

Essex Police has just addressed fears of a "credible threat" to Nigel Farage with just minutes remaining until the result of tonight's by-election.

"We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count," a spokesman told GB News.

And speaking to The People's Channel just now, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said he had "no reason not to proceed with the count process at this time".

Result expected within minutes - count appears to be emptying out in Clacton

The result of tonight's by-election could be announced within the next 30 minutes.

The Clacton Leisure Centre looks to be emptying out - and, barring a recount, we should have a result soon.

As a reminder: Nigel Farage has declared victory already, and will not be attending the reading-out of the result over fears of a "credible threat" against him.

Airport-style security and plenty of police at count location - Katherine Forster

There is airport-style security and a heavy police presence at the Clacton Leisure Centre, where tonight's count is taking place, GB News' chief political correspondent Katherine Forster says.

Organisers insist there is "no issue with continuing the count tonight".

Reform councillor Jaymey McIvor has told the BBC that Nigel Farage "doesn't want to be demeaned or humiliated" when the result is announced.

If he did turn up, he would be lining up alongside 33 other people - largely independents and parody candidates.

Reform UK reveals 'credible threat' behind Nigel Farage withdrawal

Nigel Farage withdrew from the by-election count due to a "credible threat" against him, Reform UK has said.

A party spokesman has just revealed Essex Police "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

It comes as Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer in charge of the by-election, has told Sky News there is "no issue" with the count going ahead.

"We work very closely with Essex Police and will be continuing the count in a safe and secure manner," Mr Davidson said.

"I will not comment on security matters. We've been working closely with Essex Police.

"We just had a further meeting, and there's no issue with continuing the count tonight."

Essex Police haven't yet revealed details of 'campaign to disrupt result'

Essex Police have not yet revealed details of what Nigel Farage has called an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" in Clacton tonight.

GB News has approached the force for more information - we'll bring you any updates as soon as we get them.

RECAP | Robert Jenrick tells GB News: ONLY Prime Minister Nigel Farage can deliver change Britain wants

Robert Jenrick told GB News earlier this evening that Clacton would not simply a "one-off", adding that the "Burnham bounce" doesn't exist.

Mr Jenrick said it was now "neck-and-neck" between Labour and Reform UK, declaring that he stands by his party leader amid talks of a second by-election.

He said: "I know where my constituents stand in Nottinghamshire. They want a big change as well, and that is only going to happen if we get Nigel into No10.

"And tonight it's just the next step on that road. Get Nigel back into Parliament, end this nonsense.

"Look, if there's another by-election that will just look silly, it will all be over. And Nigel can concentrate on the challenge ahead."

Mr Jenrick also shot down any notion that Reform UK had reached its political limit, saying the party had won seats throughout the country.

"Look, for a long time now, people have said, oh, Reform's peaked. It's all over. It's a bubble that's going to burst. It's not happened."

Nigel Farage reveals police warning of attempt to 'disrupt' Clacton by-election count

Nigel Farage has just said he been advised by Essex Police that there is an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result announcement later this morning.

He confirmed he would not attend the count alongside the 33 other candidates present.

If he wins, Mr Farage would be the first victorious by-election candidate since Bobby Sands not attend an election count.

Earlier, the Reform UK leader refused to be drawn on whether he would attend the count.

And in what may have been a hint at the police warning, his colleague Robert Jenrick said Mr Farage was "the bravest person I know" when probed by GB News on whether he would attend.

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage will not attend the count of the Clacton by-election over a "credible threat" made against him, Reform UK has said.

Mr Farage earlier told crowds that Essex Police said there was an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result.

And his party claimed the force "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

The acting returning officer in charge of the by-election said there was "no issue with continuing the count tonight", but made no direct mention of a threat against Mr Farage.

The Reform leader declared victory in the Clacton by-election to GB News in the early hours of Friday morning, saying he had "very convincingly" beaten "uniparty-backed" candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

He had resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

Turnout has been confirmed at 44.37 per cent, meaning more than 34,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

Nigel Farage cancels victory speech

Reform UK has cancelled a victory speech which was set to be given by Nigel Farage later this morning.

Mr Farage, who had been awake for quite some time by the point he spoke to GB News, had organised a press conference in Clacton following his expected by-election victory in a few minutes.

A Reform spokesman said: "The speech due to be delivered from 10.30am tomorrow has been cancelled. Nigel Farage has already commented on the expected result of the by-election."

Essex Police 'did not advise any candidate that they should not attend the count'

It is now being widely reported that Essex Police did not advise any candidate that they should not attend the count, directly contradicting Reform UK's statement.

Nigel Farage himself has only mentioned an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the count - but his party specifically mentioned a "credible threat" against him.

Amid fears of 'threat'... Nigel Farage pays respects to Ann Widdecombe ahead of vote declaration

Nigel Farage took a moment of reflection to mourn Ann Widdecombe in a speech before the result of tonight's by-election was announced.

In a poignant moment in an otherwise joyous speech to supporters, the Reform UK leader said Miss Widdecombe was a woman of "deep Christian conviction".

"I want us to remember, in a solemn moment, that yesterday [Wednesday] was the funeral of Ann Widdecombe," he said.

Ms Widdecombe, a former Tory minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on July 8, aged 78.

A high-profile murder investigation into her killing has since reached the courts, with 28-year-old Joshua Kerry remanded in custody after appearing at the Old Bailey charged with her murder.

His provisional trial date has been listed for June 8 next year.

A small private ceremony was held for Ms Widdecombe at Buckfast Abbey, in Buckfastleigh, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, earlier this week.

On the day of the funeral, Mr Farage said she was "an extraordinary woman who left a serious mark on British politics" and "will be sorely missed".

"Rest in peace, Ann," he added.

Reform UK: 'The Westminster Establishment judged this COMPLETELY wrong'

"The fact that more people voted today than the local elections shows how the people of Clacton were motivated by the prospect of endorsing Nigel," a Reform UK source has just said.

They added that voters were also motivated by "how the Westminster Establishment judged this by-election completely wrong."

Earlier, Reform MP Andrew Rosindell said the party "is under attack in so many areas".

"The Labour Party and the Conservative Party are terrified that we can win the election next time," he told GB News.

"They are trying to do everything they can to drag Nigel down... This is not just about the Standards Committee investigation. This is about politics being on a level playing field in this country."

Essex Police addresses 'credible threat against Nigel Farage' fears to GB News

Essex Police has just addressed fears of a "credible threat" to Nigel Farage with just minutes remaining until the result of tonight's by-election.

"We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count," a spokesman told GB News.

And speaking to The People's Channel just now, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said he had "no reason not to proceed with the count process at this time".

Result expected within minutes - count appears to be emptying out in Clacton

The result of tonight's by-election could be announced within the next 30 minutes.

The Clacton Leisure Centre looks to be emptying out - and, barring a recount, we should have a result soon.

As a reminder: Nigel Farage has declared victory already, and will not be attending the reading-out of the result over fears of a "credible threat" against him.

Airport-style security and plenty of police at count location - Katherine Forster

There is airport-style security and a heavy police presence at the Clacton Leisure Centre, where tonight's count is taking place, GB News' chief political correspondent Katherine Forster says.

Organisers insist there is "no issue with continuing the count tonight".

Reform councillor Jaymey McIvor has told the BBC that Nigel Farage "doesn't want to be demeaned or humiliated" when the result is announced.

If he did turn up, he would be lining up alongside 33 other people - largely independents and parody candidates.

Reform UK reveals 'credible threat' behind Nigel Farage withdrawal

Nigel Farage withdrew from the by-election count due to a "credible threat" against him, Reform UK has said.

A party spokesman has just revealed Essex Police "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

It comes as Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer in charge of the by-election, has told Sky News there is "no issue" with the count going ahead.

"We work very closely with Essex Police and will be continuing the count in a safe and secure manner," Mr Davidson said.

"I will not comment on security matters. We've been working closely with Essex Police.

"We just had a further meeting, and there's no issue with continuing the count tonight."

Essex Police haven't yet revealed details of 'campaign to disrupt result'

Essex Police have not yet revealed details of what Nigel Farage has called an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" in Clacton tonight.

GB News has approached the force for more information - we'll bring you any updates as soon as we get them.

RECAP | Robert Jenrick tells GB News: ONLY Prime Minister Nigel Farage can deliver change Britain wants

Robert Jenrick told GB News earlier this evening that Clacton would not simply a "one-off", adding that the "Burnham bounce" doesn't exist.

Mr Jenrick said it was now "neck-and-neck" between Labour and Reform UK, declaring that he stands by his party leader amid talks of a second by-election.

He said: "I know where my constituents stand in Nottinghamshire. They want a big change as well, and that is only going to happen if we get Nigel into No10.

"And tonight it's just the next step on that road. Get Nigel back into Parliament, end this nonsense.

"Look, if there's another by-election that will just look silly, it will all be over. And Nigel can concentrate on the challenge ahead."

Mr Jenrick also shot down any notion that Reform UK had reached its political limit, saying the party had won seats throughout the country.

"Look, for a long time now, people have said, oh, Reform's peaked. It's all over. It's a bubble that's going to burst. It's not happened."

Nigel Farage reveals police warning of attempt to 'disrupt' Clacton by-election count

Nigel Farage has just said he been advised by Essex Police that there is an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result announcement later this morning.

He confirmed he would not attend the count alongside the 33 other candidates present.

If he wins, Mr Farage would be the first victorious by-election candidate since Bobby Sands not attend an election count.

Earlier, the Reform UK leader refused to be drawn on whether he would attend the count.

And in what may have been a hint at the police warning, his colleague Robert Jenrick said Mr Farage was "the bravest person I know" when probed by GB News on whether he would attend.

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage will not attend the count of the Clacton by-election over a "credible threat" made against him, Reform UK has said.

Mr Farage earlier told crowds that Essex Police said there was an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result.

And his party has now just said the force "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

The acting returning officer in charge of the by-election said there was "no issue with continuing the count tonight", but made no direct mention of a threat against Mr Farage.

The Reform leader declared victory in the Clacton by-election to GB News in the early hours of Friday morning, saying he had "very convincingly" beaten "uniparty-backed" candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

THe Reform UK leader resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

Turnout has been confirmed at 44.37 per cent, meaning more than 34,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

Result expected within minutes - count appears to be emptying out in Clacton

The result of tonight's by-election could be announced within the next 30 minutes.

The Clacton Leisure Centre looks to be emptying out - and, barring a recount, we should have a result soon.

As a reminder: Nigel Farage has declared victory already, and will not be attending the reading-out of the result over fears of a "credible threat" against him.

Airport-style security and plenty of police at count location - Katherine Forster

There is airport-style security and a heavy police presence at the Clacton Leisure Centre, where tonight's count is taking place, GB News' chief political correspondent Katherine Forster says.

Organisers insist there is "no issue with continuing the count tonight".

Reform councillor Jaymey McIvor has told the BBC that Nigel Farage "doesn't want to be demeaned or humiliated" when the result is announced.

If he did turn up, he would be lining up alongside 33 other people - largely independents and parody candidates.

Reform UK reveals 'credible threat' behind Nigel Farage withdrawal

Nigel Farage withdrew from the by-election count due to a "credible threat" against him, Reform UK has said.

A party spokesman has just revealed Essex Police "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

It comes as Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer in charge of the by-election, has told Sky News there is "no issue" with the count going ahead.

"We work very closely with Essex Police and will be continuing the count in a safe and secure manner," Mr Davidson said.

"I will not comment on security matters. We've been working closely with Essex Police.

"We just had a further meeting, and there's no issue with continuing the count tonight."

Essex Police haven't yet revealed details of 'campaign to disrupt result'

Essex Police have not yet revealed details of what Nigel Farage has called an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" in Clacton tonight.

GB News has approached the force for more information - we'll bring you any updates as soon as we get them.

RECAP | Robert Jenrick tells GB News: ONLY Prime Minister Nigel Farage can deliver change Britain wants

Robert Jenrick told GB News earlier this evening that Clacton would not simply a "one-off", adding that the "Burnham bounce" doesn't exist.

Mr Jenrick said it was now "neck-and-neck" between Labour and Reform UK, declaring that he stands by his party leader amid talks of a second by-election.

He said: "I know where my constituents stand in Nottinghamshire. They want a big change as well, and that is only going to happen if we get Nigel into No10.

"And tonight it's just the next step on that road. Get Nigel back into Parliament, end this nonsense.

"Look, if there's another by-election that will just look silly, it will all be over. And Nigel can concentrate on the challenge ahead."

Mr Jenrick also shot down any notion that Reform UK had reached its political limit, saying the party had won seats throughout the country.

"Look, for a long time now, people have said, oh, Reform's peaked. It's all over. It's a bubble that's going to burst. It's not happened."

Nigel Farage reveals police warning of attempt to 'disrupt' Clacton by-election count

Nigel Farage has just said he been advised by Essex Police that there is an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result announcement later this morning.

He confirmed he would not attend the count alongside the 33 other candidates present.

If he wins, Mr Farage would be the first victorious by-election candidate since Bobby Sands not attend an election count.

Earlier, the Reform UK leader refused to be drawn on whether he would attend the count.

And in what may have been a hint at the police warning, his colleague Robert Jenrick said Mr Farage was "the bravest person I know" when probed by GB News on whether he would attend.

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Andy Burnham could face a right-wing council rebellion if he ploughs ahead with his migrant housing plan which would see all areas of Britain "play their part".

Reform UK has said it would resist efforts by the Prime Minister to distribute asylum seekers throughout the country by launching legal challenges.

And the Conservatives have confirmed they are "considering all options" to prevent asylum seekers from being moved to Tory-run local authorities,

On Tuesday, Mr Burnham told GB News the "poorest communities" had already done enough, with Downing Street sources arguing it was a "point of principle" to send migrants to more expensive postcodes.

A spokesman for Reform UK said: "Andy Burnham's plan to dump illegal migrants in more expensive areas is an insult to taxpayers and councils being forced to pick up the bill, while putting local communities at risk.

"Reform-run councils will resist Labour forcing illegal migrants on their communities, including via judicial reviews, HMO [houses in multiple occupation] directions and planning laws.

"Reform will not stand by while Andy Burnham and the Left impose their failed immigration policies on councils and taxpayers who never voted for these policies."

HMO directions allow councils to block the conversion of single houses into multiple-occupation dwellings without planning permission.

Family homes can usually be converted to accommodate up to six people without the need for permission.

Reform and the Tories collectively run more than 86 councils, and both parties have pledged to resist illegal migrants being moved into their areas.

Kemi Badenoch vowed to back any Tory-run councils challenging an asylum hotel in its area.

Matt Vickers, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, told The Telegraph: "Labour have failed to stop the boats and now they want to spread the illegal migration problem across the country so all communities can suffer - even though it will cost the taxpayer even more than the current failed arrangement.

BRITAIN 'PLAYS ITS PART' - READ MORE:

• Andy Burnham accused of creating a 'class divide' by telling wealthy areas to house asylum seekers
• MAPPED: The areas that could be forced to 'play their part' after Labour shuts 13 migrant hotels
• Andy Burnham 'doesn't have the guts to deal with small boats crisis', says Nigel Farage

"Meanwhile they are closing asylum hotels only to force migrants into local communities, taking up HMOs and further reducing the housing supply available to hard-working Britons.

"The Conservatives are considering all options to help councils resist their areas being forced to take on asylum seekers. Rather than simply moving people around in an attempt to punish Middle England, Burnham should focus on stopping the crossings."

Lewis Cocking, the Tory MP for Broxbourne - which houses no asylum seekers - said it was not "fair on any community in any part of the United Kingdom to be forced to accommodate people who have come to this country illegally".

"The Government should be focused on stopping illegal immigration entirely rather than thinking about which areas haven’t taken enough," he said.

"If someone arrives in this country illegally, they should be detained and deported."

Some 13 asylum hotels were closed on Wednesday with the aim of closing all of the sites by the end of this Parliament.

But moving migrants into rented accommodation is likely to cost taxpayers more money - as much as 17 per cent, according to analysis by The Telegraph.

A Government spokesman said: "We are closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation.

"The number of asylum seekers receiving support is decreasing, and the number of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen by 35 per cent in the last year – and by 63 per cent from the peak in 2023.

"Overall asylum costs have already fallen by £1billion since the general election. We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, working closely with local authorities, and listening to local concerns to reduce the impact on communities."

Nigel Farage will not attend the count of the Clacton by-election over a "credible threat" made against him, Reform UK has said.

Mr Farage earlier told crowds that Essex Police said there was an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result.

And his party has now just said the force "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

The acting returning officer in charge of the by-election said there was "no issue with continuing the count tonight", but made no direct mention of a threat against Mr Farage.

The Reform leader declared victory in the Clacton by-election to GB News in the early hours of Friday morning, saying he had "very convincingly" beaten "uniparty-backed" candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

THe Reform UK leader resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

Turnout has been confirmed at 44.37 per cent, meaning more than 34,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

Reform UK reveals 'credible threat' behind Nigel Farage withdrawal

Nigel Farage withdrew from the by-election count due to a "credible threat" against him, Reform UK has said.

A party spokesman has just revealed Essex Police "advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him".

It comes as Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer in charge of the by-election, has told Sky News there is "no issue" with the count going ahead.

"We work very closely with Essex Police and will be continuing the count in a safe and secure manner," Mr Davidson said.

"I will not comment on security matters. We've been working closely with Essex Police.

"We just had a further meeting, and there's no issue with continuing the count tonight."

Essex Police haven't yet revealed details of 'campaign to disrupt result'

Essex Police have not yet revealed details of what Nigel Farage has called an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" in Clacton tonight.

GB News has approached the force for more information - we'll bring you any updates as soon as we get them.

RECAP | Robert Jenrick tells GB News: ONLY Prime Minister Nigel Farage can deliver change Britain wants

Robert Jenrick told GB News earlier this evening that Clacton would not simply a "one-off", adding that the "Burnham bounce" doesn't exist.

Mr Jenrick said it was now "neck-and-neck" between Labour and Reform UK, declaring that he stands by his party leader amid talks of a second by-election.

He said: "I know where my constituents stand in Nottinghamshire. They want a big change as well, and that is only going to happen if we get Nigel into No10.

"And tonight it's just the next step on that road. Get Nigel back into Parliament, end this nonsense.

"Look, if there's another by-election that will just look silly, it will all be over. And Nigel can concentrate on the challenge ahead."

Mr Jenrick also shot down any notion that Reform UK had reached its political limit, saying the party had won seats throughout the country.

"Look, for a long time now, people have said, oh, Reform's peaked. It's all over. It's a bubble that's going to burst. It's not happened."

Nigel Farage reveals police warning of attempt to 'disrupt' Clacton by-election count

Nigel Farage has just said he been advised by Essex Police that there is an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result announcement later this morning.

He confirmed he would not attend the count alongside the 33 other candidates present.

If he wins, Mr Farage would be the first victorious by-election candidate since Bobby Sands not attend an election count.

Earlier, the Reform UK leader refused to be drawn on whether he would attend the count.

And in what may have been a hint at the police warning, his colleague Robert Jenrick said Mr Farage was "the bravest person I know" when probed by GB News on whether he would attend.

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage has declared victory in the Clacton by-election, with hours still remaining until the result of what he has billed a "people vs Establishment" poll.

Turnout has been confirmed at 44.37 per cent, meaning more than 34,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

Mr Farage told GB News in the early hours of Friday morning that he had "very convincingly" beaten "uniparty-backed" candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

The Reform UK leader resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat, but will resume if he wins.

None of the other main Westminster parties stood candidates to take part in this contest, with Mr Farage one of 34 people - largely independents - standing instead.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

RECAP | Robert Jenrick tells GB News: ONLY Prime Minister Nigel Farage can deliver change Britain wants

Robert Jenrick told GB News earlier this evening that Clacton would not simply a "one-off", adding that the "Burnham bounce" doesn't exist.

Mr Jenrick said it was now "neck-and-neck" between Labour and Reform UK, declaring that he stands by his party leader amid talks of a second by-election.

He said: "I know where my constituents stand in Nottinghamshire. They want a big change as well, and that is only going to happen if we get Nigel into No10.

"And tonight it's just the next step on that road. Get Nigel back into Parliament, end this nonsense.

"Look, if there's another by-election that will just look silly, it will all be over. And Nigel can concentrate on the challenge ahead."

Mr Jenrick also shot down any notion that Reform UK had reached its political limit, saying the party had won seats throughout the country.

"Look, for a long time now, people have said, oh, Reform's peaked. It's all over. It's a bubble that's going to burst. It's not happened."

Nigel Farage reveals police warning of attempt to 'disrupt' Clacton by-election count

Nigel Farage has just said he been advised by Essex Police that there is an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result announcement later this morning.

He confirmed he would not attend the count alongside the 33 other candidates present.

If he wins, Mr Farage would be the first victorious by-election candidate since Bobby Sands not attend an election count.

Earlier, the Reform UK leader refused to be drawn on whether he would attend the count.

And in what may have been a hint at the police warning, his colleague Robert Jenrick said Mr Farage was "the bravest person I know" when probed by GB News on whether he would attend.

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage has declared victory in the Clacton by-election, with hours still remaining until the result of what he has billed a "people vs Establishment" poll.

Turnout has been confirmed at 44.37 per cent, meaning more than 34,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

Mr Farage told GB News in the early hours of Friday morning that he had "very convincingly" beaten "uniparty-backed" candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

The Reform UK leader resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat, but will resume if he wins.

None of the other main Westminster parties stood candidates to take part in this contest, with Mr Farage one of 34 people - largely independents - standing instead.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

Nigel Farage reveals police warning over attempt to 'disrupt' Clacton by-election count

Nigel Farage has just said he been advised by Essex Police that there is an "organised campaign to degrade and disrupt" the election result announcement later this morning.

He confirmed he would not attend the count alongside the 33 other candidates present.

If he wins, Mr Farage would be the first victorious by-election candidate since Bobby Sands not attend an election count.

Earlier, the Reform UK leader refused to be drawn on whether he would attend the count.

And in what may have been a hint at the police warning, his colleague Robert Jenrick said Mr Farage was "the bravest person I know" when probed by GB News on whether he would attend.

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage has declared victory in the Clacton by-election, with hours still remaining until the result of what he has billed a "people vs Establishment" poll.

Turnout has been confirmed at 44.37 per cent, meaning more than 34,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

Mr Farage told GB News in the early hours of Friday morning that he had "very convincingly" beaten "uniparty-backed" candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

The Reform UK leader resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat, but will resume if he wins.

None of the other main Westminster parties stood candidates to take part in this contest, with Mr Farage one of 34 people - largely independents - standing instead.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

Nigel Farage addressing 'people's army' in Clacton - follow live

Nigel Farage is addressing his "people's army" in Clacton after declaring victory in the by-election to GB News.

He has thanked crowds at "Farage fest" for their relentless campaigning - and has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe after her funeral on Wednesday.

We'll bring you the latest from Mr Farage's address as soon as we get it.

Turnout in Clacton confirmed at 44.37%

Turnout in tonight's by-election has been confirmed to have reached 44.37 per cent.

Nigel Farage - who has already declared victory - will want to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes.

And Robert Jenrick has just told GB News the numbers looked "encouraging".

"That thousands of people have come out to vote bodes very well," Reform's Treasury spokesman said.

He dismissed other parties' claims that this was a "fake election", saying "every election is an opportunity to fight for what you believe in".

"The Establishment knew they couldnt beat Nigel," Mr Jenrick said.

"The old parties who have failed this country for a very long time have tried to get Nigel out of politics because he represents change. They can't beat him at the ballot box... They'll try every trick in the book."

Count Binface claims 'we're going to be back in a few weeks' amid talk of second Clacton by-election

Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey, opened the door to a second by-election in Clacton if Nigel Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules.

"You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it's going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back again in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."

He added: "Even if I got to 12 per cent, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn't it?

"If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election."

Mr Harvey has stood in six elections and by-elections before tonight.

He stood against Boris Johnson in the 2019 General Election and then again in his Uxbridge seat for a by-election when he resigned.

He also stood in Rishi Sunak's seat in 2024, and against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election just weeks ago.

In 2021 and 2024, he stood against Sir Sadiq Khan in London mayoral elections.

Overall, he has never achieved a more than one per cent vote share - both times against the London Mayor.

Labour MP brands by-election 'embarrassing, ridiculous Victorian folly' in blistering attack

Labour MP Oliver Ryan has branded the Clacton by-election "the most embarrassing, ridiculous election by election ever" in a blistering attack on Nigel Farage.

Speaking to GB News just now, Mr Ryan said the vote was "like some kind of Victorian folly" as he mocked the Reform UK leader.

"This guy has been telling us for the last 10 years, certainly the last two years, that he's about to become the Prime Minister," he said.

Mr Farage had "subjected himself" to a "wildly embarrassing" ordeal in Clacton, he added.

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage has declared victory in the Clacton by-election, with hours still remaining until the result of what he has billed a "people vs Establishment" poll.

Turnout was earlier confirmed at 43 per cent, meaning around 34,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

Mr Farage told GB News in the early hours of Friday morning that he had "very convincingly" beaten "uniparty-backed" candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

The Reform UK leader resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat, but will resume if he wins.

None of the other main Westminster parties stood candidates to take part in this contest, with Mr Farage one of 34 people - largely independents - standing instead.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

'You drove my family into hiding!' Nigel Farage FURIOUS at Establishment in emotional message from Clacton

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

'They were SCARED' - Lee Anderson tells GB News Clacton boycotters are 'political cowards'

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

WATCH LEE ANDERSON'S INTERVIEW WITH GB NEWS HERE

Clacton election chief outlines 'challenges' after record 34 candidates stand

Ian Davidson, the acting returning officer and the chief executive at Tendring council, has said he had been forced to take on more staff at the count and had put double counting tables in place in order to cover all the votes for Clacton's record 34 candidates.

Mr Davidson told Sky News the overall by-election had cost about £250,000 - which Reform UK had offered to fund, but had its offer turned down.

He said: "Some of the challenges have been including postal votes, because getting that amount in, so sending them out to the postal voters, then envelopes to be able to return them.

"Then we've had to put double tables on, as you can see here, more staff to be able to manage the process through, and actually the cost of the ballot papers has been about four times as much as it was in the general election because of the sheer increase in size."

Reform UK's Gawain Towler outlines conditions for 'big win' in Clacton

Gawain Towler, the long-time Nigel Farage ally who now sits on Reform's board, has outlined the conditions for what will mark a "big win" tonight in Clacton.

With around 34,300 votes cast, Mr Farage needs just under 62 per cent to beat his 2024 total of 21,225 votes, Mr Towler said.

"Given Survation had him at 73 per cent, and others him at 69 per cent, that’s a low bar. Anything above 62 per cent tonight is a big win."

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Nigel Farage has accused the Establishment of "driving his family into hiding" as he delivered an emotional message from Clacton ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Speaking to GB News from "Farage fest" in the Essex town, the Reform UK leader laid down the gauntlet to the "uniparty" amid fears of a second vote in the seat.

Mr Farage predicted he had won "very convincingly", saying he had beaten "Establishment candidate" Count Binface, the comedy writer named Jonathan Harvey backed by Labour, Tory and Lib Dem canvassers in Clacton.

"My voters are ordinary folk... Working people who get up early in the morning, go to work and are sick of the way this country is going and see me as a champion for their views," he said.

But with a parliamentary probe still looming if he does indeed win tonight, the Reform leader said he did not think the "uniparty" would call a second by-election if he is found to have breached the rules over a donation.

He resigned amid heightened scrutiny over the row, even admitting to GB News he did so in anger.

"If you threaten my family, threaten the safety of my daughter, drive another member of my family into hiding... Am I angry? I'm very angry," he said.

He added that it was "interesting" how attacks on his family had been dialled down after campaigning begun, and declared: "I was right to do this."

WATCH NIGEL FARAGE'S INTERVIEW IN FULL ABOVE FOR MORE

Lee Anderson, Reform UK's chairman, has branded the Westminster parties boycotting the Clacton by-election "political cowards" as he predicted a "win for democracy" in the seat.

Mr Anderson, speaking to GB News, said Labour, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems "were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box".

"It's as simple as that," he added. "They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

"I'll tell you what - We'll be partying into the night. We'll be celebrating Nigel Farage's victory - the man who's going to take us into No10 in about three years' time."

Mr Anderson also revealed the reason he believed there would not be a second by-election in Clacton, as other parties have predicted.

But why?

WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MORE

Counting is now underway for the Clacton by-election, with Nigel Farage set to learn his fate in what he has billed a "people vs establishment" poll.

Turnout has been confirmed at 43 per cent, meaning around 32,000 Britons have voted - though that's a lower number than the turnout at the last General Election.

The Reform UK leader resigned as an MP to trigger the contest at the start of July amid a probe by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million gift which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat, but will resume if he wins.

None of the other main Westminster parties stood candidates to take part in this contest, with Mr Farage one of 34 people - largely independents - standing instead.

Among those to contest the seat is satirical candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey - an Oxford-educated comedy writer.

We're expecting the results from Thursday's vote to roll in between 5am and 7am - so stick with us for live updates and coverage overnight.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...

Provisional turnout CONFIRMED in Clacton

The provisional turnout for today's by-election is approximately 43 per cent, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said.

The exact final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

But the provisional turnout figure is down 15 per cent on the 2024 General Election turnout in the constituency - where Nigel Farage won with 46.2 per cent of the vote.

Conservatives claim by-election is 'fake' after failing to stand candidate

After polls in Clacton closed this evening, a spokesman for the Conservatives reiterated the party's position that the by-election was "fake".

"Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that," he bristled.

The party said the same when Mr Farage stepped down from the seat on July 7, triggering the by-election.

But when it had to face off against Reform UK in 2024, its vote share sunk by a staggering 44 per cent - taking in fewer than a third of all votes.

Labour claims Nigel Farage beseiged by 'mountain of scandals' - 27 days after ousting its own party leader

Labour has said Nigel Farage cannot "run from the truth forever" after the Clacton by-election closed at 10pm.

Bridget Phillipson, the party's chairwoman, said Mr Farage "spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party".

She added: “Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day."

Labour's own leader was forced to step down following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield just weeks ago - and it has only been 27 days since Andy Burnham took over.

His time in No10 has now been plunged into crisis amid growing rows over releasing violent criminals onto Britain's streets and scattering asylum seekers in military bases and Home Office housing across the nation.

RECAP: Catch up with all of GB News' Thursday coverage from Clacton here

Today's live blog from Clacton has now closed. To read through GB News' comprehensive coverage across the day, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO RECAP ON ALL OF THURSDAY'S COVERAGE FROM CLACTON

Sir Sadiq Khan has praised the development of London's Cycleway network, as new data shows it is five times larger than it was a decade ago.

The capital's Cycleway network is now 450km in length after new routes were added, dwarfing the 90km worth of routes in 2016.

Research from Transport for London shows that the Cycleway network is now longer than the entire Tube network and stretches farther than the distance from London to Paris.

More than 1.5 million cycle journeys are now taking place across the capital every day as TfL and Sir Sadiq Khan work to improve road safety and promote active travel options.

It also forms part of the Vision Zero strategy, which has consistently been touted by the London Mayor as being integral to road safety.

The policy aims to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on London's roads to zero by 2041.

Commenting on the upgrades to the Cycleway network, Sir Sadiq Khan praised the developments, but stated that there was still more work to be done.

He outlined that he would work with TfL, boroughs and communities to expand and improve the cycle network even further.

The London Mayor said: "I'm proud to have overseen a dramatic expansion of London's cycle network, making it easier and safer for people across the capital to choose cycling for everyday journeys.

"I said I'd make London a byword for cycling - promise made, promise delivered.

"This progress is transforming the way Londoners travel, improving our health and cleaning our air to help us build a greener city."

This was echoed by Helen Cansick, head of healthy streets and investment at TfL, who described it as a "significant milestone".

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She added: "This milestone reflects the years of strong partnership with London's boroughs to deliver safer and more accessible cycling infrastructure.

"A high-quality cycle network benefits everyone, whether they choose to cycle themselves or not, by helping to reduce traffic, improve local environments and support healthier neighbourhoods.

"There is more to come, and we will continue to expand the network and enable even more people to travel safely and sustainably."

Latest additions to London's Cycleway network

• Cycleway Islington - Approximately 4km of new Cycleway has been delivered by extending C23 and C20 around the borough. The new extensions provide new connections to Cycleway 1 and Cycleway 27.
• Cycleway Camden - 2.5km of new Cycleway providing improved links between Camden Town and King's Cross.
• Cycleway Wandsworth - A newly completed 1.6km link connecting Wandsworth Common to Clapham Common.
• Cycleway 29: Ewell Road, Kingston - A 0.5km extension of Cycleway 29 providing segregated cycle tracks on a key corridor in South West London between Tolworth and Surbiton.
• Cycleway 62: Lambeth Bridge - The completion of Cycleway 62 across Lambeth Bridge has improved cycling connections between north and south London, creating a new Safer Junction in the capital.
• Cycleway 43: Westminster - The first section of Cycleway 43 between Hyde Park and Edgware Road.

Road crime victims in England and Wales have expressed feelings of dismay and of being left behind by the criminal justice system, according to a damning new report.

The Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman's report was based on interviews with bereaved families and people left with life-changing injuries after criminal road collisions, who have called on the Government to do more.

It detailed how victims often feel their suffering is treated as less important than other serious crimes, despite road deaths being more than three times higher than homicides.

In the year to June 2025, an estimated 29,896 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads in England and Wales, with 1,579 deaths recorded.

Victims told researchers they were often left waiting for answers, with some unsure whether police would even treat their case as a criminal matter.

One bereaved relative said: "Road crime is not taken seriously, not at all. It's not treated as a real crime, and that's the way you feel the whole way through."

Another said the justice process had made their experience even worse, describing it as "nightmarish".

The report found investigations into fatal driving offences took an average of 372 days before police recorded an outcome.

The findings follow the recent Road Safety Strategy unveiled in January, which included steps to tackle road deaths and serious injuries on Great Britain's roads by 65 per cent by 2035.

Police have also been promised a new Roads Policing Innovation Programme, while the Government is considering tougher action against uninsured and unlicensed drivers, motorists without an MOT and those who fail to stop and report collisions.

However, the Victims' Commissioner's report raises questions about what happens after a serious collision has taken place, and whether victims and bereaved families are getting the justice and support they need.

The Government's strategy itself acknowledges the scale of the problem, with around four people killed on UK roads every day, while thousands more are seriously injured each year.

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Support for families was also criticised. Unlike families bereaved by homicide, people who lose loved ones in road crashes are unable to access the National Homicide Service.

Specialist charities and organisations can provide vital help, with some victims describing the support as "lifesaving", although several said they were never properly referred to these services and had to find help themselves.

One bereaved victim said: "I have had some very, very dark times and I don't think I would still be here without her. They need more funding. Definitely need more funding. They do a fantastic job."

The closure of RoadPeace in January 2026 has added concerns about the future of specialist support. The report stated there is currently no dedicated national funding stream for organisations supporting road collision victims.

Ms Waxman said too many victims felt road crime was not treated with the seriousness it deserved, and that many had been "forced to fight for basic information, answers and recognition" while dealing with devastating loss and trauma.

The Victims' Commissioner has issued six formal recommendations to criminal justice agencies and public bodies.

This includes stronger national standards for road collision investigations, better training for police officers, automatic referrals to specialist support services and long-term funding for victim organisations.

The recommendations also call for better information for victims about compensation and civil claims. The agencies involved must respond publicly within 56 days, either setting out what action they will take or explaining why they will not act.

Water customers face further bill increases after Ofwat gave five suppliers permission to raise charges to fund an additional £3.4billion of spending.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham criticised water companies following the regulator’s provisional approval, saying households should not be expected to cover unnecessary costs.

He said customers had “been asked to pay more for years” while pollution incidents remained high and leakage problems persisted, adding that “customers cannot be treated as a blank cheque”.

Labour said it would explore ways to give the public greater control over the water sector and keep bills down.

Mr Burnham said: “I understand why people are angry – I am too.

“The truth is customers have been asked to pay more for years, yet serious pollution incidents are at record levels and the pipes are still leaking.

“None of which is the billpayer’s fault, who should not be treated as a bottomless source of funding for other people’s failures.”

He added: “Customers cannot be treated as a blank cheque. Where water companies seek to pass unnecessary costs on to households, they will be challenged.

“Our water industry has clearly not been working for people for far too long. That’s why this Government will be looking at how we can give the public more control and help keep bills as low as possible.”

Ofwat has given Severn Trent, Southern Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and South East Water permission to increase charges beyond levels already agreed under the existing pricing framework.

Southern Water, Thames Water and South East Water currently have partial or full hosepipe bans in place. The five companies collectively serve around 20 million customers.

Southern Water customers face the largest increase, with an additional £43 added to annual bills in 2027, falling to £37 by 2029.

Thames Water and Severn Trent customers will pay an extra £3 in 2027 and a further £2 in 2029.

Wessex Water plans increases of £4 in 2027 and £3 in 2029. South East Water customers will see an additional £1 added in 2029.

These rises come on top of a 36 per cent increase in water bills already approved for 2025–30, as well as significant bill increases in 2025 and a further average rise of 5.4 per cent from April this year.