Do the Greens need a more charismatic leader?
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Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Now MORE Councils weigh up legal action to stop asylum seekers being housed in migrant hotels after stunning 'victory' in High Court - as Nigel Farage calls for other areas to 'follow Epping's lead'
More councils are now considering legal action to stop asylum seekers being housed in hotels after High Court ruling temporarily blocks a migrant hotel in Epping. Yesterday, council leaders won the first step in their bid to have the Bell Hotel closed, after Mr Justice Eyre ruled the establishment must stop housing asylum seekers by September 12. The hotel, owned by Somani Hotels Limited, became an epicentre for anti-immigration protest, with some turning violent, after a migrant resident was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Reform leader Nigel Farage has hailed the ruling a 'great victory', indicating the 12 councils led by his party would also consider legal challenges following the ruling. Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Farage said: 'This is a great victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping. Let it also be an inspiration to the rest of Britain. Now the good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain. 'Wherever people are concerned about the threat posed by young undocumented males living in local hotels and who are free to walk their streets, they should follow the example of the town in Essex. 'Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels, and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win.' Now, Conservative-run Broxbourne Council in Hertfordshire has also announced it will be taking legal advice 'as a matter of urgency' on whether it could take similar action to Epping Forest District Council - which is also run by the Tories. In a post on Facebook, Broxbourne Council said: 'Broxbourne Council will now take legal advice as a matter of urgency about whether it could take similar action.' Elsewhere, South Norfolk District Council leader Daniel Elmer, which covers Diss town where a hotel housing asylum seekers has been subject to protests, said his council would not follow suit. He said the council was using planning ruled to ensure families were being housed in the area rather than single adults males, meaning hotels would be effectively converted into hostels, and should require a change of use. Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with a protest in July outside the hotel in Diss, which houses more than 40 children. Cllr Elmer said: 'We make a big play about integration, and to replace families who have children in the local school system and have integrated into the local community would make no sense.' 'If we can punish people who have put up sheds in their gardens without permission, then we can take action against hotels being converted into hostels without planning consent.' Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said the Government will 'continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns'. 'Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament,' she added. Edward Brown KC also said the injunction would 'substantially interfere' with the Home Office's statutory duty in potentially avoiding a breach of the asylum seekers' human rights. Edward Brown KC, for the Home Office, warned the High Court the move 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. It would also 'substantially interfere' with the Home Office's legal duty to avoiding a breach of the asylum seekers' human rights, he said. The barrister added: 'The balance of convenience can never favour a course of conduct that creates a real risk of interfering with fundamental human rights. 'If the injunction is granted by the court, it will substantially impact on the Home Secretary's statutory duties. 'The local authority should in fact have given some consideration to the wider public interest in this application.' He added that the injunction bid 'causes particular acute difficulties at the present date'. It comes after a series of protests in recent weeks outside Epping hotel in recent weeks, after, Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. Raphael Pigott, defending, told a hearing at Colchester magistrates' court on July 17: 'I believe he is here as a refugee or asylum seeker, and that he arrived informally on a boat.' It is alleged Mr Kebatu tried to kiss a schoolgirl as she ate pizza near a busy high street, and the next day attempted to kiss an adult near a fish and chip shop in the town centre, telling her she was 'pretty' while putting his hand on her leg. He then encountered the girl again and tried to kiss her, a court was told. Mr Kebatu has denied the offences and is in custody. A second man who resides at the hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, has separately been charged with seven offences. A series of protests have taken place outside the hotel since the alleged incidents. There was violence outside the premises last month after 'anti-immigration' campaigners clashed with 'anti-racism' demonstrators. Twenty-eight people have since been arrested in relation to disorder, and 16 of them have been charged. Police chiefs have already described the unrest at The Bell as a 'signal flare' for another summer of disorder.
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Brutal cost-of-living warning that will impact every Australian: 'The system is broken'
Deliveries from popular online retailers like Mecca, ASOS, and The Iconic are set to become more expensive and slower if the Federal Government backs a new fuel tax. Proposals expected to be discussed at the Economic Reform Roundtable on Wednesday and Thursday could result in retailers passing on higher fuel costs directly to customers, potentially making free shipping a thing of the past. Cheaper, slower delivery options could become the new normal, leaving Australians weighing whether to pay extra for faster service. Currently, heavy freight trucks enjoy a fuel tax rebate that keeps delivery costs down and helps packages arrive quickly. Farmers and freight operators claim back part of the fuel tax they pay, the same rebate that has historically made online deliveries cheaper and faster. A new levy would reverse that advantage. The tax push has been supported by teal independents Kate Chaney, Allegra Spender, and Senator David Pocock, with Spender attending the roundtable discussions. The Productivity Commission, which spoke at the roundtable on Wednesday, is expected to recommend a higher fuel tax for heavy vehicles delivering goods across the country. On Thursday, Grattan Institute CEO Aruna Sathanapally will present to the group, with her organisation having previously expressed support for the tax. Meanwhile, the Greens, who hold significant influence in the Senate, are also backing the proposal. If implemented, the fuel tax could add up to 20.3 cents per litre on diesel and petrol for trucks, an 11 per cent increase based on last year's average fuel price of 181 cents per litre. Australia Post already charges a fuel levy for deliveries, with express services attracting up to 16.3 per cent and regular post 5.6 per cent. Any increase could see delivery times slow or costs rise further. Retailers may respond by raising free shipping thresholds or passing the extra costs directly to consumers, affecting everything from skincare to sneakers. Currently, heavy vehicles used on public roads receive a 20.3 cent per litre rebate for diesel and petrol, including E10, B5, and B20 blends with ethanol and biodiesel. Off-road fuel rebates are even higher, reaching up to 48.8 cents per litre between August 2023 and February 2024. National Road Association (NATRoad) CEO Warren Clark told Daily Mail the change would hurt the trucking and freight industry. 'The fuel tax system is broken and needs to be revamped. Measures like this will simply add to the increasing stress felt by the industry and we'll continue to see businesses being forced into administration' he said. 'More importantly, it would increase the cost of living which will hurt everyone.' He warned it would hurt families already dealing with cost-of-living. 'An increase in fuel tax at this time would be devastating for operators already struggling with rising costs and wafer-thin margins.' he said. 'The road freight sector has been under serious pressure for some time, with rising costs and no real productivity gains in the last decade. A reversal of these benefits could ripple through the delivery system and into shoppers' wallets.' The three-day roundtable will conclude on Thursday.
Press and Journal
3 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Ex-oil and gas worker forces north-east Green MSP Maggie Chapman from top election slot
A former oil and gas worker in Aberdeen has forced Green MSP Maggie Chapman from the party's top north-east spot for re-election to Holyrood. The Green politician now faces losing her seat in 2026 after being demoted to second place on the regional list behind her former staff member, Guy Ingerson. It follows a string of controversies in recent months, including bullying allegations made by Mr Ingerson. He submitted an official complaint to the party after claims she contacted his new workplace to complain about him. Mr Ingerson was backed by Green members to take the top spot in the Scottish Parliament election next May, the party announced on Monday. 'It is a great honour and I am overwhelmed by the support I have received,' he wrote in a statement. 'My focus will be on delivering for people and communities across the north-east.' The activist previously worked in the oil and gas industry for a decade, starting off as an administration assistant and working his way up to become a buyer, and then an operations co-ordinator. He now works as an organiser in the north-east for Friends of the Earth Scotland. Five years ago, he featured in the Press and Journal's Generation Next series, which profiled 35 young rising political stars north of the central belt. He revealed how he stumbled into the offshore industry after gatecrashing oil and gas firm Subsea 7's Christmas party in former Aberdeen haunt Tiger Tiger. In an interview with the P&J in 2023, he said the depiction of the north-east as a 'region of petrol-heads' does not reflect the diversity of views in the region. Ms Chapman – an ex rector of Aberdeen University – came under fire earlier this year for branding the UK's Supreme Court 'bigoted', following their ruling on the definition of a 'biological woman'. The MSP was separately caught up in a backlash at an activist's expletive-ridden speech attacking the author JK Rowling for being a 'heinous b***h'. Ms Chapman, who becomes Dundee University rector next month, could be seen on a video on social media behind the protestor, appearing to speak to other members of the nearby crowd while the speech is being made. On the list rankings, Lorna Slater, Green Party co-leader, said: 'Next year's election is pivotal for the future of Scotland and our planet, that's why I am delighted that Scottish Green members have selected such a strong group of lead candidates who will deliver real change in Holyrood.' Regional MSPs are elected based on votes for parties using a form of proportional representation. The more votes for the party, the more candidates can be elected down the list. The Greens have never managed to get more than one in the North East region, with a long drought between 2007 and 2021 when the party had no MSPs elected on the list.
