Birmingham HMRC employee identified as Patriotic Alternative member
Patriotic Alternative is considered to be the UK's largest far-right group, with about 500 members and thousands of followers online.There are the calls for the group to be banned and some members investigated by police after people were secretly filmed making threats of violence against migrants.Dame Sara Khan, former Counter-Extremism Commissioner, previously called for the government to change the laws to ban organisations like the group.
'Twisted ideology'
An undercover BBC reporter spent a year investigating Patriotic Alternative, filming demonstrations and recording some members using racial slurs, alongside talk of race wars.Patriotic Alternative leader Mark Collett said the group were not extremist, did not promote violence, and were advocating for for the rights of "indigenous Britons".Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary, said the "twisted ideology" of Patriotic Alternative had no place in the civil service or in wider society."PCS reps in Birmingham have identified an unapologetically racist Patriotic Alternative activist as a member of HMRC staff. Our Welsh reps in HMRC did the same in 2023, demonstrating our commitment to rooting fascist agitators out of our civil service," she said in a statement."As trade unionists and anti-fascists, will continue to actively fight against all forms of racism and fascism."An HMRC spokesperson added they did not comment on individual staff members.
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Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
UK hotspots for rogue traders revealed – how bad is your area?
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Reports were also linked to: General building works (1,018) Plumbing work (881) Electrical work (655) Carpentry work (633) Other types of jobs reported included work on driveways, bathrooms and windows. The data, gathered through a Freedom of Information request, also revealed Greater London as the worst hotspot in the country. It had 2,462 reports of suspected rogue tradespeople last year. Yorkshire and Humber followed closely behind with 2,341 reports. East Anglia and the East Midlands were next with 934 and 793 reports respectively. The West Midlands had the lowest number of reports at just 108. The areas with the most suspected rogue trader reports Greater London - 2,462 Yorkshire and Humber - 2,431 East Anglia - 934 East Midlands - 793 North West - 722 Northern Ireland - 695 Scotland - 438 North East - 364 Wales - 287 South West - 271 South East - 198 West Midlands - 108 Households are being warned rogue traders can leave them at serious risk. Richard Harvey, electrical installation safety expert for Electrical Safety First, said: "With so many reports of suspected rogue trade activity, there's a real chance of dangerous work being carried out in homes that leaves victims picking up the pieces, or worse, at serious risk of harm. "People are still feeling the squeeze from the cost-of-living crisis, and rogue traders will exploit this, perhaps offering to do the work in an unrealistic time frame or at a cheaper price." HMRC Spying on Social Media, M&S Giving Away Free Cakes, & Unemployment at Four-Year-High – Money News Today He warned electrical work can be the most dangerous as shoddy electrics leave you at risk of fire, burns and electrocution. Plus, having poor work done can leave you thousands of pounds out of pocket as it can cause further issues and you'll need to get it fixed. Last year, a rogue trader from Cornwall was sentenced after he left customers £90,000 out of pocket. In one case, he removed load-bearing walls without adequate support for the roof and left electrics in a dangerous state. Another rogue trader from Swindon was sentenced after it was found he carried out dangerous electrical work which was not compliant with building regulations. He'd also issued houseowners with an electrical installation certificate for the electrical work claiming it had been signed off by an electrician who had not visited the property. Red flags to watch out for You can avoid getting caught out by a rogue trader by looking out for these signs… They're available immediately Builders and tradespeople are in demand, so be wary of anyone who can start work straight away. Of course, there might be legitimate reason for this - perhaps they had another job fall through - but it's worth asking some questions. Read the reviews on websites like Checkatrade or on Google Reviews and make sure the person is vetted and qualified to carry out the work. 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Pay using a secure method rather than handing over cash. They've knocked on the front door While it's not unusual to get a leaflet through the door advertising work, you should never feel pressured into committing to any works by someone who has turned up uninvited on your doorstep. Experts say a reputable tradesperson would never canvas work by knocking on doors - they'll be so in demand they don't need to. Instead, a better way to find a decent tradesperson is through recommendations from friends, family and colleagues. You could also join local forums and social media groups to get recommendations, and be sure to read reviews.
New Statesman
3 hours ago
- New Statesman
The British public aren't who you think they are
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Ipsos found that while just 9 per cent of those over 55 view Trump favourably, that figure jumps to 29 per cent for 18-34-year-olds (though 45 per cent in this age group are unfavourable). 'This isn't just a quirky stat,' Pedley adds. As the UK prepares for Trump's unprecedented second state visit, with the vice-president chilling out in a Cotswolds village, 'it suggests Trump's anti-establishment, social-media-driven brand of politics is having some cut through with a generation that gets its news from very different places than their parents. For many young people, who are perhaps more sceptical of 'business-as-usual' politics, his disruptive style seems to resonate. It's a crucial trend, and one that hints at a real shift in the political landscape.' What did your dad do again? 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Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe In more bad news for the Prime Minister, Deltapoll also found that 56 per cent of British adults think Starmer makes the world a worse place, compared to 24 per cent who think he makes it a better place. 'On the plus side,' Twyman adds, 'his score is better than that of Donald Trump (63 per cent vs 21 per cent), Benjamin Netanyahu (58 per cent vs 10 per cent) and Vladimir Putin (83 per cent vs 6 per cent). On the downside, his score is worse than that of domestic opponents including Kemi Badenoch (23 per cent vs 39 per cent), Nigel Farage (32 per cent vs 46 per cent), Boris Johnson (31 per cent vs 47 per cent), and Jeremy Corbyn (22 per cent vs 54 per cent).' Ouch. I have a cunning plan Speaking of Corbyn, Scarlett Maguire, founder and director of Merlin Strategy, has found an unlikely source of support: Reform voters. On a range of indicators – from 'authentic' and 'honest' to 'for working people' and 'understands people like me' – Corbyn beats Starmer decisively among those who say they would back Farage's party if an election were held tomorrow. The biggest wins for Corbyn over Starmer were 'represents change' (69 per cent vs 31 per cent) and 'makes radical decisions' (70 per cent vs 30 per cent). The only thing Reform voters thought Starmer was better at was representing Britain on the world stage. The fact that supporters of a radical right party preferred the (potential) leader of a radical left one to the Prime Minister of a centre-left government is striking, and suggests a real weakness in Labour's strategy of chasing Reform votes – although, Maguire points out, 'this does not show they like Corbyn, more the extent to which they dislike Starmer'. Merlin Strategy also found that, by a whisker, more people trust Farage on the economy than Starmer (33 per cent vs 31 per cent). 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It helps to explain their rise from fringe to leading in the polls'. They also show the sheer range in terms of class and cultural markers of those considering backing Farage. All that said, it's best to beware putting the UK public into neat little boxes – as two intriguing bits of polling from YouGov show. The first found that while just 35 per cent of Britons identify as a feminist, 83 per cent believe men and women should be equal in every way. They did the test by asking the question in three ways: 'Are you a feminist?'; then 'One definition of a feminist is someone who believes men and women should have equal rights and status in society, and be treated equally in every way. Are you a feminist?'; and finally 'Do you think men and women should have equal rights and status in society, and be treated equally in every way?' Support increased with each option. Tanya Abraham, director of political and social research at YouGov, notes the data 'suggests that there is a certain toxicity to the term 'feminist' that is putting some people off using it, even when it is paired with a description they would back'. But the poll is also a great demonstration of why it's so important not to make assumptions. You could look at answers to the first question and get what looks like a very clear indication of how British people feel about a pretty fundamental social question. And that indication would be wrong. YouGov also found last year that, whatever stereotypes we might have in our heads about England football fans, over two-thirds (67 per cent) don't mind whether the England manager is English or not. With the recent triumph of the Lionesses under their superstar Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman, that figure is probably even higher today than it was when YouGov asked the question in October 2024, after the German Thomas Tuchel was announced as Gareth Southgate's successor. Back then, Farage tweeted 'Why can't we have an English manager?' But YouGov found that just only 30 per cent of England fans had a preference for the manager to be English. Even more interestingly, YouGov's Dylan Difford wrote that while 'desire for an English candidate is highest among Reform UK voters, at 42 per cent… even then, 47 per cent disagree with Farage's view'. Maybe the real takeaway is that, in sport as in politics, the British people just want a winner. This piece first appeared in the Morning Call newsletter; receive it every morning by subscribing on Substack here [See also: Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu are trapped] Related
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
American who smuggled £800,000 of cocaine in parmesan cheese jailed
An American caught with crack cocaine stashed in a hollowed-out cheese wheel gave a brie-lliant excuse for border guards. Jamie Choi, 23, from California, was stopped as she tried to enter the UKafter arriving on a flight from Brazil on 25 May this year. There was one question Heathrow border guards had for her. 'What's with the massive 8kg cheese?' Choi tried to bluff officers insisting that a friend had begged her to buy the parmesan from the famous cheesemaking country of Peru to bring back to London for them all to try. But when officers examined the cheese, they found it contained 94 per cent pure crack cocaine – giving it a street value of £800,000. The National Crime Agency, took over the investigation, tracing Choi's route zig-zagging across South America after flying from Los Angeles to Lima on 20 May 2025. By the next day, Choi had flown to Asuncion, Paraguay, staying there until 24 May when she flew to Heathrow Airport after changing at Sau Paulo, Brazil. But only a single notebook entry was found in Choi's handbag dated 21 May 2025 – the day she left Lima. It read: 'I dropped out of UCSB [University of California Santa Barbara] on Monday. Currently I am in Paraguay in South America solo travelling for the first time. It's been amazing so far.' Choi, who was charged with importing Class A drugs, pleaded guilty to the offence at Isleworth Crown Court on 6 August. NCA senior investigating officer, Barry Vinall, said: 'We've seen people trying to smuggle cocaine into the UK hidden inside all manner of innocuous looking items, but Border Force and the National Crime Agency are well-practised in finding drugs, whatever the disguise. 'Smuggling drugs into the UK is simply not a risk work taking – it has consequences, as seen in this case.' Choi has been jailed for five years and three months today. More Trending It came after three Britons escaped the death penalty in Indonesia after being caught with cocaine hidden in Angel Delight packets. Lisa Stocker, Jonathan Collyer and Phineas Float from East Sussex were stopped at Bali's international airport with 17 packages of cocaine in February. Stocker, who is a mum-of-three, and her partner Collyer had travelled together via Qatar while Float was accused of receiving the packages at an airport hotel. But Stocker broke down in tears and told the court she was tricked into carrying the drugs, with her friend telling her it was Angel Delight.
