Is Labour now the stranger among friends?
An 'island of strangers' (Report, 19 May)? 'If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world,' wrote Francis Bacon. Of course, there are those who consider citizens of the world to be citizens of nowhere, but shared humanity and threats to our planet that affect everyone suggest otherwise.
I am the granddaughter of immigrants and would not exist if they had not found refuge in this country. The words of our prime minister sent a chill through my veins. It seems that it is the Labour party, which I have supported all my life (though sometimes reluctantly), that has become alien.Jenni DaichesSouth Queensferry, Edinburgh
Is it cynical to ask whether the payment of a £1,000-a-year health surcharge while on a time-limited residence permit played a role in the decision to extend the qualifying period for 'indefinite leave to remain' from five to 10 years? After all, these surcharges contributed £1.7bn to Britain's health departments in 2023-24 alone, according to a research briefing in the House of Commons library. Nice little earner.Yvonne BearneKingsteignton, Devon
If the prime minister believes it is OK to require all arriving workers or students and their adult dependents to have good English, he would presumably also support the idea that all British emigrants should have a good standard of the language of the country they are moving to. Maybe universities could increase their income with intensive courses in Mandarin, Hindi and Spanish.Anne WebbWest Kirby, Merseyside
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The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why is LA protesting? 700 Marines set to be deployed on streets as curfew hits Los Angeles
More than 700 Marines awaited deployment in Los Angeles on Wednesday, marking the latest escalation of Donald Trump's response to the immigration raid protests. Demonstrations continued for a sixth day after a string of ICE raids on Friday sparked a wave of unrest in LA, with the battalion of Marines set to join 4,000 National Guard troops already mobilized in the city. The administration is now considering troop deployments to other cities as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement intensify in New York, Chicago, Austin and Denver, an official told the New York Times. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who claims the presence of troops exacerbates tensions, has asked a judge for an emergency injunction, arguing it is 'unlawful.' A hearing is set for Thursday. LA Mayor Karen Bass placed a curfew into effect in a portion of downtown LA in response to looting and vandalism, with the Los Angeles Police Department stating that it made 'mass arrests' after the restriction was imposed. Here, The Independent breaks down what you need to know as LA experiences its fifth day of upheaval. How did the protest start? Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conducted search warrants at multiple locations on Friday. One search was executed outside a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District after a judge found probable cause that the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S Attorney's Office. Crowds tried to stop ICE agents from driving away following the arrests. Another protest was sparked outside a federal building in downtown LA, after demonstrators discovered detainees were allegedly being held in the basement of the building. Protests then erupted in Paramount after it appeared federal law enforcement officers were conducting another immigration operation in the area. The protests also spread to the nearby city of Compton. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that as many as 400 people were involved in the demonstration. The ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrests of 118 immigrants this week, including 44 people in Friday's operations, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The arrests led to protesters gathering outside a federal detention center, chanting, 'Set them free, let them stay!' Why did Trump first deploy the National Guard? On Saturday, Trump ordered the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops to LA. 'If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!' he wrote on Truth Social. Newsom responded on social media that the ' federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.' He added that the mobilization is 'the wrong mission and will erode public trust.' The state National Guard had not been federalized by a president – in doing so overriding a governor – since 1965. How have things progressed since? The first National Guard troops arrived in areas of Los Angeles on Sunday, including Paramount and the downtown area. Footage shared online showed an escalation in the clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, with police in riot gear using tear gas to disperse people. Another video showed protesters throwing fireworks and other projectiles at officers. Vehicles have been set on fire and graffiti reading 'f*** ICE' has been sprayed in multiple locations. By Sunday morning, the LAPD had already made dozens of arrests, with law enforcement braced for 'several more protests' in the city throughout the day. Police said in the evening that there had been reports of looting in the city. After sharply criticizing Newsom and Bass, Trump continued his rebuke against protestors on the ground. Late Sunday, he wrote on Truth Social that it's 'looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!' By Monday, Trump ordered the Defense Department to take control of an additional 2,000 California National Guardsmen to bolster efforts to quell demonstrations. They will join the 2,000 guardsmen already stationed throughout L.A. About 700 Marines were also mobilized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with Newsom deploying an additional 800 law enforcement officers in a bid to 'clean up President Trump's mess.' Protests on Monday were mostly quelled by the evening and remained less violent than Sunday's fiery clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement officers. On Tuesday, authorities enforced the curfew in a portion of downtown LA between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Wednesday, with Bass warning that anyone who failed to comply would be detained. The LAPD said that it made 'mass arrests' after the restriction was imposed. Hours before the Marine battalion was scheduled to be deployed in LA on Wednesday, Newsom filed an emergency injunction in an attempt to block the troop deployment. The administration is now considering deploying troops to other cities to quell further protests, an official told the New York Times. Anti-ICE protests began sprouting up in broader parts of California and other major U.S. cities. Approximately 60 protesters, including juveniles, were arrested Sunday in San Fransico after a group began to vandalize property. Over on the East Coast, around 20 anti-ICE protesters were also led away by police in New York, following demonstrations in lower Manhattan. On Monday, multiple people were arrested near San Francisco's City Hall after two small groups broke off from thousands of protestors marching peacefully to commit 'vandalism and other criminal acts,' police said A peaceful protest in Santa Ana developed into violence with rocks thrown and fireworks set off at law enforcement officers, officials say. In Austin, police were forced to use pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protesters who had gathered at the Texas Capitol. By Tuesday, protests had spread to at least 10 cities with dozens of arrests made. The most hostile of which were in New York City, where, in the evening, clashes broke out between police and protesters near the ICE office. Protesters were thrown to the ground as police tried to handcuff them. Others lobbed water bottles at officers. More protests were scheduled for Wednesday in places like Seattle, St. Louis and Indianapolis. What has the reaction been? Newsom and Bass have both continued to speak out against the president's decision to deploy the troops, describing it as 'unnecessary' and an attempt by the administration to create 'chaos.' In a statement put out via email, the governor said that Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'want a spectacle' and violence. Speaking to KTLA on Sunday, Bass said that Trump's decision was unnecessary and 'just political.' 'I'm very disappointed. To me, this is just completely unnecessary, and I think it's the [Trump] administration just posturing.' By Monday, Newsom rebuked Trump's 'blatant abuse of power.' 'We will sue to stop this. The Courts and Congress must act. Checks and balances are crumbling,' he said. 'This is a red line — and they're crossing it. WAKE UP!' In a televised address Tuesday, Newsom lambasted Trump for 'fanning the flames' of the LA protests, stating his 'brazen abuse of power' had 'inflamed a combustible situation.' Other Democrats, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker, backed Newsom and Bass, with Booker describing the president's actions as 'hypocritical at best.' Why has the Mexican flag become a symbol of the protest? A dramatic photograph showing a masked protester biking around a blazing car in Los Angeles has rapidly become a symbol of the anti-ICE riots. Drone footage of the masked protester, in the Hispanic-majority city, was shared on X and went viral. Many said it gave Trump a propaganda coup as he works to deport migrants from LA and said the photo of the Mexican flag-waving protester was undermining their resistance. Democrat supporter Armand Domalewski shared the video and claimed on X that the protester 'has to be a Republican plant'. 'This is like the perfect propaganda footage for Trump and Steven Miller. Why do people do this?' Australian political observer Drew Pavlou wrote in response.
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Over-60s free travel costs taxpayers £100 MILLION more than fare dodgers
Free public transport for older Londoners is costing taxpayers around £500 million a year - £100 million more than fare dodgers. More than 1.5 million people aged 60 and above currently travel for free on London 's buses, Tubes, trains and trams thanks to two schemes: the 60+ Oyster Card for those aged 60 to 65, and the Freedom pass for those 66 and over. But with costs rapidly rising and many users still working, critics say the benefit is becoming 'difficult' to justify. Transport for London (TFL) is predicated to spend a staggering £135 million on the 60+ Oyster Card alone this year, up from £60 million in 2016 - and the figure is expected to hit £185 million by 2027. Meanwhile, the Freedom Pass costs London's boroughs another £350 million annually and could reach nearly £500 million by the end of the decade, as reported by The Telegraph. The hefty price tag has now sparked debate about whether these schemes are still fair - or sustainable. According to TfL, 60 per cent of those using the 60+ Oyster Card are still in work, and 20 per cent use it to commute. On average, Londoners aged 60 to 64 earn about £42,000 a year - nearly double the income of workers in their early twenties. Critics say this shows the benefit is going to people who don't necessarily need it. Reem Ibrahim, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'It is difficult to justify a system where the wealthiest age group in the country is having their travel funded by taxpayers. We urgently need a targeted approach.' Liz Emerson, chief executive of the research charity International Foundation, called it a 'perfect example of intergenerational unfairness,' with younger workers essentially footing the bill for their older colleagues' commutes. The Freedom Pass scheme is managed by the London boroughs, most of which raised council tax by the maximum 5 per cent this year. The body that it on behalf of the boroughs has warned the the scheme will soon become 'unsustainable.' The 60+ Oyster Card was introduced by then-Mayor Boris Johnson in 2012, and is funded through council tax and the congestion charge. Once users celebrate their 66th birthday, they automatically move onto the Freedom Pass - unless they have a disability, in which case they may qualify earlier. During the pandemic, Mayor Sadiq Khan paused the use of these passes before 9am to save money - a move that generated an extra £15 million in fares. However, he rejected a proposal to gradually raise the age limit for the 60+ card in line with the state pension age. A TfL spokesperson told the Telegraph: 'Both the Mayor and TfL are committed to making public transport in London as accessible, convenient, and affordable as possible. 'We regularly review our range of concessions to ensure that they continue to benefit Londoners, while also remaining affordable for TfL to operate.' It comes as a report released last Wednesday found fare evasion is becoming 'normalised', with train staff telling the inquiry that they are struggling to cope with 'aggressive' passengers who refuse to buy tickets. Travellers are using 'a range of techniques to persistently' underpay or avoid paying and see it as a 'victimless crime ', according to the Office of Road and Rail (ORR). It found fare evasion is a mounting problem now costing taxpayers £400million a year which is resulting in higher fares and less investment cash to improve services.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Reeves to say spending review will reflect ‘priorities of working people'
Rachel Reeves will unveil her spending review on Wednesday, arguing that her priorities are 'the priorities of working people'. The Chancellor is expected to focus on 'Britain's renewal' as she sets out her spending plans for the coming years, with big increases for the NHS, defence and schools. Arguing that the Government is 'renewing Britain', she will acknowledge that 'too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it'. She will say: 'This Government's task – my task – and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities.' Among the main announcements is expected to be a £30 billion increase in NHS funding, a rise of around 2.8% in real terms, along with an extra £4.5 billion for schools and a rise in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. But Wednesday could present a tough prospect for other government as the Chancellor seeks to balance Labour's commitments on spending with her fiscal rules. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has already warned that any increase in NHS funding above 2.5% is likely to mean real-terms cuts for other departments, or further tax rises to come in the budget this autumn. This could mean a budgetary squeeze for areas such as local government, the justice system and the Home Office, despite reports that policing would receive an above-inflation settlement. The Chancellor has already insisted that her fiscal rules remain in place, along with Labour's manifesto commitment not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. She will say on Wednesday: 'I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal. 'These are my choices. These are this Government's choices. These are the British people's choices.' Other announcements expected on Wednesday include £39 billion for social and affordable housing over the next decade as the Government aims to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the next election. The Treasury said this would see annual investment in affordable housing rise to £4 billion by 2029/30, almost double the average of £2.3 billion between 2021 and 2026. The additional spending has been welcomed by homelessness charities, with Crisis calling it 'a determined political signal that housing really matters' and Shelter describing the move as 'a watershed moment in tackling the housing emergency'. The Chancellor has also already announced some £15.6 billion of spending on public transport in England's city regions, and £16.7 billion for nuclear power projects, the bulk of which will fund the new Sizewell C plant in Suffolk. There is also expected to be an extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027 and an extra £445 million for upgrading Welsh railways. The Government has also promised £750 million for a new supercomputer – the UK's most powerful – in Edinburgh. But one of the big losers from the spending review could be London, which is not expected to receive funding for any significant infrastructure projects or powers to introduce a tourist levy – both key requests from Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
