Kemi Badenoch calls Bicester fire 'horrifying incident' as three found dead
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, has paid tribute to the people who have died in a large fire at a former RAF base in Bicester.
Speaking to reporters at the Welsh Conservative conference in Llangollen, she said: 'I think it's an absolutely horrifying incident.
'My heart goes out to the families of those people who have lost their lives and those who are still on the front line, because I understand the fire is still going, and I hope that we can get to the bottom of exactly what's caused this and make sure that it doesn't happen again.'
One of those killed in Bicester was a London firefighter on 'retained duty' with the Oxfordshire fire service, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.
LFB commissioner Andy Roe said: 'Following the terrible news from Oxfordshire that two firefighters have died in the line of duty, alongside a member of the public, it is with great sadness that I can confirm that one of those who lost their lives is a London leading firefighter/sub officer, who was on retained duty with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Two firefighters and one member of the public have been confirmed dead following a fire incident at Bicester, Oxfordshire. This is terrible news. Our thoughts are with their families, friends and colleagues. The FBU will be on hand to provide support in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/QQJ9EvAh2J
— Fire Brigades Union (@fbunational) May 16, 2025
'We are devastated by the loss of our colleague, and our thoughts remain with the families and friends of all those impacted by this incident.
'We are working closely with our counterparts in Oxfordshire, providing support to the family and our crews affected by this tragic loss.
'Our sincere condolences go out to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service who also sadly lost a firefighter at this incident, with a further two colleagues in hospital.'
The council said four crews remain at the scene as the blaze is now under control.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the deaths as 'devastating news', adding: 'The bravery of our firefighters is astounding. Hoping those in hospital make a full and swift recovery.'
Officers remained at the entrance of the former RAF base on Friday, and a fire engine and ambulance could be seen leaving the area while another police vehicle entered the site.
Eyewitnesses described seeing the 'black' smoke in the sky from the other side of town.
Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall said: 'It is with a very heavy heart that we today report the loss of two of our firefighters.
'Families have been informed and are being supported.'
Kieran McGurk, a product director who lives opposite Bicester Motion – formerly known as Bicester Heritage – said he heard 'multiple bangs' and saw a plume of smoke while out walking.
Historic England claims the famous airfield is 'the most complete and strongly representative example of an RAF airbase' in Britain.
The site is now home to classic car restoration and engineering businesses.
In a statement, Bicester Motion said: 'We are deeply saddened to share the tragic news that two firefighters and a close friend of the site have lost their lives.
Recommended reading:
Bicester Heritage fire live: 3 die at former RAF Base
Bicester Motion fire: Three dead including firefighters
Firefighter on 'retained duty' killed in Bicester fire
'There are no words at times like this, but our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones.
'We pray for the two firefighters in hospital.
'The bravery shown by the emergency services teams has been overwhelming.
'We are grateful for all the support and especially the exceptional work by all in such unprecedented circumstances.'
Bicester Motion confirmed the site will remain closed over the weekend.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
MoD ‘dishonest' to call 1994 Chinook crash an accident, say families
The families of people killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter disaster have criticised the Ministry of Defence's description of the crash as a 'tragic accident' as 'dishonest, deceitful and disingenuous'. RAF Chinook ZD576 was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness when it crashed in foggy weather on June 2 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland. All 25 passengers – made up of personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army – were killed, along with the helicopter's four crew members. The families of those who died said earlier this month that they were beginning legal action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for not ordering a public inquiry. They want a High Court judge to be able to review information which they say was not included in previous investigations, and which they believe will shed new light on the airworthiness of the helicopter. The families, who have coalesced into the Chinook Justice Campaign, said failing to order a public inquiry is a breach of the UK Government's human rights obligations. An MoD spokesperson said: 'The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died. 'We have received a pre-action protocol letter from the Chinook Justice Campaign and are considering our response. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment further.' Solicitor Mark Stephens, who is representing the families, said: 'The statements issued by the Ministry of Defence in recent days are so blatantly at odds with the facts as we now know them that they have caused immense upset to the families and cast a further cruel and disgraceful shadow on this ongoing travesty of justice. 'We know that the RAF helicopter carrying the 29 service personnel who were killed, serving their country, had been grounded because of fatal flaws in the software on board. 'For the MoD to claim that this was a 'tragic accident' flies in the face of the facts and is blatantly and disgracefully at odds with the truth. 'It is nothing short of dishonest, deceitful and disingenuous and we demand a retraction.' The families have also called for the release of documents that were sealed at the time of the crash for 100 years, something revealed in a BBC documentary last year. The MoD has said that records held in the National Archives contain personal information and early release of those documents would breach their data protection rights. Mr Stephens said: 'For the Government to believe that data protection laws were designed to protect someone who is living – and who may have made a dreadful decision that night – rather than the truth emerging over 29 service personnel who were killed in an unairworthy aircraft, is a total abomination. 'This decision must be overturned, these files must be seen by a judge, and we will fight this in court if necessary.' Niven Phoenix, a commercial pilot whose father Ian was one of the senior RUC officers killed in the crash, said: 'This was about as far from a tragic accident as you could get. Locking the files away until we are all dead proves there is a cover-up about something. 'The MoD's statement that these files have been sealed to protect third party interests is yet another disingenuous, distasteful and outright dishonest assertion designed to hide the truth using data protection laws which only came into force in the UK long after the crash. 'The Government would prefer for all the children of the Chinook victims to die like their parents rather than provide access, answers and take accountability for past mistakes. This is not the duty of candour promised by Keir Starmer in his election manifesto.' Following the crash, the Chinook's pilots, Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK Government 17 years later, following a campaign by the families. A subsequent review by Lord Philip set out 'numerous concerns' raised by those who worked on the Chinooks, with the MoD's testing centre at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire declaring the Chinook Mk2 helicopters 'unairworthy' prior to the crash.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Boost for Kemi Badenoch as Tories raise twice as much as Reform in political donations
The Conservatives have received twice as much money from donors as Reform in the first three months of this year, even as they sink in the polls. The financial backing will come as a boost to the under-pressure Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, days after her party dropped to fourth place in a major poll. Ms Badenoch's party took in £3.36m, Reform £1.5m, Keir Starmer's party £2.3m and the Liberal Democrats £1.5m, the Electoral Commission statistics show. The Tories hit out at Reform — also under pressure after losing and regaining its chairman in recent days — saying it had 'failed to secure the donations they claimed were coming' and had a 'fantasy approach to finances'. The Conservatives said Reform UK party sources had in January 'claimed a dinner in Mayfair had secured over £1 million in pledges yet there is no evidence in the latest Electoral Commission figures that support this.' They also pointed to figures which show 42 per cent of Reform UK's donations during the three months rely on £613,000 from deputy leader Richard Tice's company. But Mr Farage hit back, accusing Labour and the Conservatives of having relied on their ability to hand out peerages to bankroll their parties for decades. Asked about the donation figures, the Reform leader said: 'Is it easy to raise big money in politics? It's not... because I have not got any peerages to give out. 'The honours system is corrupted beyond belief, we don't have any gongs to give out.' Mr Farage went on to stress he is confident he is building relationships with the donors Reform needs, while stressing that the bulk of its revenue comes from supporters giving between £25 and £50. That almost a third of the money raised by the Conservatives came from one donor, however, will do little to ease Tory MPs fears their leader is not doing enough to build the kind of wide support needed to win the next election. The largest single donation was £1m from former Labour supporter Jez San, a computer game entrepreneur. David Ross, the founder of Carphone Warehouse, who halted donations to the party during its post-Boris Johnson years, is also listed as giving £40,000, in two separate donations. Mr Ross, who once 'facilitated' accommodation for Mr Johnson on the island of Mustique, will become the party's senior treasurer later in the year. Reginald Collins, a longtime member of Labour, was the party's largest individual donor, leaving it £350,000 when he died. The Liberal Democrats had the most individual donors, at 246. The Tories had 122, Labour 93 and Reform 70. The Tories said the latest figures build on the momentum of the previous quarter, where the party raised £1.9 million – more than all the other major political parties combined. The party said major donors were returning 'to support Kemi Badenoch's mission of renewal to completely rewire Britain for the 2030s, based on Conservative values of sound money, lower taxes, and a smaller government that does fewer things but better.' Lord Dominic Johnson, co-chairman of the Conservative Party, said: 'The Conservative Party's finances are in great shape. These impressive figures show momentum, building on the strong figures last quarter. 'It marks stark contrast with Labour, ever more reliant on union donations, and Reform, still reeling from internecine warfare, struggling to make good on fantasy pledges and having to be bailed out by Richard Tice. 'We are the party of sound money and economic credibility and donors old and new are backing Kemi's mission of Conservative Renewal.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
What is a burka and what are the rules around wearing one in the UK?
Employers should be able to decide if their staff can wear burkas in the workplace, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said, amid a debate on the face coverings and whether they should be banned in the UK. The issue was brought up by Reform's newest MP Sarah Pochin, who asked Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions whether he would support such a ban. Starmer said he would not "follow her down that line", but the question has sparked what Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said is 'a national discussion'. A burka is a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through. Other face coverings include the niqab, which leaves the area around the eyes clear, while the term hijab refers more general to headscarves that cover the head and neck but leave the face clear. Badenoch said her view is that people who come to her constituency surgeries must remove their face coverings 'whether it's a burka or a balaclava'. The Telegraph asked me about Burqa Bans.I don't like these sorts of face coverings in fact I won't hold my constituency surgeries with people in face coverings….but burqa bans won't fix the problem of cultural separatism. There are better in my response below👇 — Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) June 8, 2025 She shared a segment of an interview with the Telegraph via X, in which she said: 'I personally have strong views about face coverings. If you come into my constituency surgery, you have to remove your face covering, whether it's a burka or a balaclava. I'm not talking to people who are not going to show me their face. 'Organisations should be able to decide what their staff wear for instance, it shouldn't be something that people should be able to override.' Her comment on the post said: "I don't like these sorts of face coverings in fact I won't hold my constituency surgeries with people in face coverings….but burqa bans won't fix the problem of cultural separatism. There are better ways." Yahoo News look at what a burka is and what the rules are around wearing them. There are various different headscarves worn by Muslim women as a sign of modesty, with different names referring to different styles. The burka is the most concealing and is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving a mesh screen to see through. A niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear, and is worn with a headscard. Hijab is used to describe headscarves in general, with the most common type in the West covering the head and neck but leaving the face clear. Other face coverings include a shayla, chador, khimar and an al-amira, all of which are different and cover the face and head in different ways. Islamic dress is not banned in the UK, but schools and employers are allowed to set their own rules around dress code. However, an organisation would have to demonstrate its ban is "proportionate" and for a "legitimate aim" or it could face a legal challenge on the grounds of discrimination under equality and human rights laws. Several countries have restrictions in place on where the burka or niqab can be worn. France banned the wearing of veils intended to conceal the face in public in 2010, with similar bans in place in countries including Denmark, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. When she asked her question in PMQs, Pochin cited other countries, saying: "Given the prime minister's desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he - in the interests of public safety - follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others, and ban the burqa?" Banning the burka was not part of Reform UK's policies at last year's general election. But asked about the issue on Sunday, the party's deputy leader Richard Tice said: 'We've triggered a national discussion. I'm very concerned about them (burkas). 'Frankly, I think they are repressive. I think that they make women second-class citizens. 'We're a Christian nation. We have equality between the sexes, and I'm very concerned, and if someone wants to convince me otherwise, well come and talk to me. 'But at the moment, my view is that I think we should follow seven other nations across Europe that have already banned them.' He called for a debate on the topic to 'hear where the country's mood is'. Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said 'employers should be allowed to decide whether their employees can be visible or not', when discussing face coverings. Asked on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme if the Conservative Party's position is not to speak to people who cover their face, Philp said of Badenoch: 'Well she was talking specifically about her constituency surgery I think, and it is definitely the case that employers should be allowed to decide whether their employees can be visible or not. 'But I don't think this is necessarily the biggest issue facing our country right now. 'There's a legitimate debate to have about the burka. You've got, obviously, arguments about personal liberty and choice and freedom on one side, and arguments about causing divisions in society and the possibility of coercion on the other. 'That is a debate I think we as a country should be having, but as Kemi said, it's probably not the biggest issue our nation faces today.' Women should not be veiling their faces in Western society (Telegraph) Reform UK chairman quits after calling question from party's newest MP 'dumb' (PA Media) New Reform UK MP Stuns The Commons With Outrageous Request In PMQs (HuffPost)