STEPHEN GLOVER: Starmer's bought a one-way ticket to Brussels - his 'youth mobility scheme' is just the first step to reinstating free movement
For many months, until a couple of weeks ago, Sir Keir Starmer and senior ministers have been reassuring us time and again that they had 'no plans' to introduce 'a youth mobility scheme', which would allow young Europeans to work, study or just lounge about in the UK for up to three years.
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South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Cross-Channel migrants to be detained as France treaty comes into force
The deal, which has now been approved by the European Commission, means the UK will be able to send people crossing the Channel in small boats back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with ties to Britain. It also means that anyone arriving in a small boat can be detained immediately, and space has been set aside at immigration removal centres in the expectation that detentions will begin within days. The Prime Minister said the ratification of the treaty will 'send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France'. But opposition parties have criticised the deal amid reports that the pilot scheme will see only 50 people a week returned to France while this year has seen a weekly average of more than 800 people make the crossing. The deal has also been criticised by refugee charities, which have urged the Government to provide more safe, legal routes for asylum seekers instead. Ministers have so far declined to say how many people could be returned under the deal, and insist that if the pilot is successful the figure will increase. Under the terms of the agreement, announced during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit last month, adults arriving on small boats will face being returned to France if their asylum claim is inadmissible. In exchange, the same number of people will be able to come to the UK on a new legal route, provided they have not attempted a crossing before and subject to documentation and security checks. The Home Office said it had also learned from the 'lengthy legal challenges' over the previous government's Rwanda scheme and would 'robustly defend' any attempts to block removal through the courts. It is the first such deal with France, with the pilot scheme set to run until June 2026, pending a longer-term agreement. Sir Keir said the deal was 'The product of months of grown-up diplomacy delivering real results for British people'. He added: 'The days of gimmicks and broken promises are over – we will restore order to our borders with the seriousness and competence the British people deserve.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was 'an important step towards undermining the business model of the organised crime gangs that are behind these crossings – undermining their claims that those who travel to the UK illegally can't be returned to France'. Ratification of the deal comes as both Britain and France battle to bring the small boats problem under control, with 2025 on course to be a record year for crossings. Some 25,436 people have already made the journey this year, according to PA news agency analysis of Home Office figures – 49% higher than at the same point in 2024. The issue has also sparked concern that a series of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers could lead to public disorder similar to last year's riots. On Monday, the Home Office announced it was providing another £100 million to tackle people smuggling and would introduce new powers to seize devices from people suspected of facilitating crossings. Ministers have also launched a crackdown on illegal working in an effort to reduce the 'pull factors' said to be encouraging people to make the journey, while French authorities have changed their guidance to allow police officers to intercept boats while they are in shallow waters. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp attacked the plans, saying they would return 'just 6% of illegal arrivals' and 'make no difference whatsoever'. He added: 'The Rwanda removals deterrent, under which 100% of illegal arrivals would be removed, was ready to go last summer but Labour cancelled it just days before it was due to start with no proper replacement plan. As a result, this year so far has been the worst ever for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. 'Only removing all illegal immigrants upon arrival will provide the necessary deterrent to stop the crossings. This is the Conservative plan, but Labour is too weak to implement it and as a result they have lost control of our borders.' While the Conservatives' Rwanda plan was in theory uncapped, it was expected to take only around 1,000 asylum seekers in its first five years of operation thanks to limited capacity in the East African nation. The plan, which Sir Keir had previously dismissed as a 'gimmick', was scrapped as one of the first acts of the incoming Labour Government last year.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
NSW faces constitutional showdown as parliament's push to expel convicted rapist Gareth Ward delayed by supreme court
New South Wales politicians are facing a potential constitutional showdown with the state's supreme court over parliament's attempt to expel local MP and convicted rapist Gareth Ward. The Minns government was seeking an urgent hearing in the supreme court on Tuesday with a view to lifting an ex parte injunction granted the previous day to Ward. It prevented parliament, for now, from moving to expel the member for Kiama. Ward commenced the proceedings on Monday night via his lawyers from Silverwater jail, where he has been remanded pending sentencing in September. Ward has said he will appeal his July criminal convictions on three counts of indecent assault and one for sexual intercourse without consent involving two young men in incidents that occurred in 2013 and 2015. The leader of the Legislative Assembly, Ron Hoenig, told reporters that the government did not believe the court had the constitutional power to restrain the parliament or any member from moving a motion in the lower house. However, 'out of respect for the court,' the parliament would apply for a more urgent hearing date, when it would seek to have the injunction lifted. Justice Deborah Sweeney, the duty judge in the supreme court, granted Ward an urgent application for the injunction on Monday night after the government notified the MP and his lawyers of Tuesday's proposed motion to expel him. He was invited to submit any arguments he wished to make. The government did not have an opportunity to make submissions to the court on Monday night. Hoenig said the government's position was that the orders 'have no effect [and] are not binding on the house'. 'The house has an inherent power, in accordance with the constitution, unconstrained by any order. However, because the order has been made by the supreme court of NSW, I have instructed the crown solicitors to approch her honour as soon as possible to reconsider the orders she has made to allow the house to conduct its business … as it has for 169 years,' the leader of the house said. 'The issue is of considerable significance. The house needs to be able to make its [expulsion decision] to protect itself, and we will be making an approach to the judge as early as today.' Hoenig said the scheduled hearing on Friday was too late, as the parliament was due to rise on Friday and would need to be recalled if Ward's injunction was not dealt with more swiftly. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has made it clear he wants Ward to resign – or the government would remove him via an expulsion motion. 'We've got a week of parliament to sit, and I think that most people would appreciate, it's an unconscionable situation to have someone who's currently sitting in jail in Silverwater, convicted of serious sexual offences, who is demanding to remain a member of parliament and continue to be paid,' Minns told 2GB radio on Tuesday. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Ward's conviction has plunged the NSW parliament into uncharted territory. As an independent member, he has not been under the usual pressure to resign from a political party. Therefore, the parliament is having to rely on a little-used inherent power to protect itself if the conduct of a member would damage the integrity of the parliament and endanger its proper functioning. The government had planned to begin moves to expel him on Tuersday with a vote expected on Wednesday. The opposition leader, Mark Speakman, said the Coalition would support the government seeking Ward's expulsion. 'Every day he clings to his seat from a jail cell, taxpayers are footing the bill, and the people of Kiama are left voiceless. It's not just wrong, it's offensive,' Speakman said on Tuesday. In 2021, Ward left the Liberal party and moved to the crossbench after identifying himself as the state MP under investigation by the child abuse and sex crimes squad of the NSW police force. When charges were laid in March 2022, the then NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, called for his resignation. Later that month, Ward was suspended after a motion unanimously passed the Legislative Assembly. In August 2022, Ward was committed to stand trial. But Ward's voters in the south coast state seat of Kiama re-elected him in March 2023 and he returned to Macquarie Street.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Netherlands to buy €500m of US arms for Kyiv in first for new Nato supply line
The Netherlands has said it will contribute €500m ($578m/£500m) to buy US military equipment for Ukraine, becoming the first Nato country to contribute to a new mechanism to supply Kyiv with American weapons. The Dutch defence minister, Ruben Brekelmans, said on X on Monday that the package would include Patriot parts and missiles. Nato's chief, Mark Rutte, welcomed the announcement and said he had encouraged other alliance members to participate in the new mechanism, called the Nato prioritised Ukraine requirements list (Purl) initiative. 'This is about getting Ukraine the equipment it urgently needs now to defend itself against Russian aggression,' Rutte – a former Dutch prime minister – said in a statement, adding that he expected 'further significant announcements from other allies soon'. President Donald Trump said last month the US would provide weapons to Ukraine, paid for by European allies, without providing details on how this would work. The US ambassador to Nato said he expected many more countries to announce over the coming weeks that they would participate. 'We're moving as fast as possible,' Matthew Whitaker told Reuters on Monday. Asked about a timeline for getting US deliveries to Ukraine under the new mechanism, he said: 'I think we'll see it moving very quickly, certainly in the coming weeks, but some even sooner than that. The Dutch are just the first of many.' Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the Netherlands' decision. 'Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, will be better protected from Russian terror,' the Ukrainian president said on X. 'I am sincerely grateful to the Netherlands for their substantial contribution to strengthening Ukraine's air shield.' Donald Trump's special envoy is expected in Moscow days before Donald Trump's deadline on Friday for Russia to make progress on ending the Ukraine war or face increased US sanctions, reports Shaun Walker. The US president said Steve Witkoff would visit Moscow on Wednesday or Thursday. When asked what message Witkoff would take to Russia and what Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, could do to avoid new sanctions, Trump: 'Get a deal where people stop getting killed.' Sources in Kyiv said they expected Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine envoy, to visit the country towards the end of the week, possibly to coincide with Witkoff's visit to Moscow. Ukraine said on Monday it had charged six people, including a lawmaker and a government official, for embezzling funds in the purchase of drones and jamming equipment for the military. Anti-corruption authorities said on Saturday they had uncovered a scheme offering kickbacks for purchases at inflated prices and that it allegedly involved a legislator, one current and one now-sacked official, a National Guard commander and two businessmen. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau alleged the bribes totalled about 30% of the contracts' value and that the drone contract was worth $240,000, with an inflation of about $80,000. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had visited Ukrainian troops holding the line in the Kharkiv region bordering Russia and discussed how drones were used in fighting. 'Our warriors in this sector are reporting the participation of mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries in the war,' the Ukrainian president said on a social media on Monday. 'We will respond.' Donald Trump said on Monday he would substantially raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. 'Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.' Trump earlier announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods starting last Friday, while New Delhi said it would safeguard its interests and called its targeting 'unjustified'. Russia's Ryazan oil refinery has halted around half its refining capacity since 2 August after a Ukrainian drone attack last week, three industry sources told Reuters. Two primary oil refining units at the Rosneft-operated refinery – about 180km south-east of Moscow – were stopped after the attacks, they said.
