Why did BBC apologise to Robert Jenrick?
Krish Kandiah of Sanctuary Foundation claimed Jenrick had increased "fear of the stranger" and used the term " xenophobia" twice
Jenrick accused the broadcaster of smearing "millions of worried citizens" as xenophobic for their "understandable fears" regarding illegal migration.
Roger Mahony, BBC's head of editorial standards, stated the comments went "well beyond" the segment's expectations and removed the xenophobia references from BBC Sounds.
The controversy stems from Jenrick's remarks on asylum seekers and public concerns, including protests at hotels housing asylum seekers.
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The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘No room for tolerance': Cyprus greets resignation of UK trade envoy after visit to breakaway north
Cyprus has welcomed the resignation of the UK's trade envoy to Turkey, Afzal Khan, saying it sends 'a resounding message' amid widespread criticism of the Labour MP's recent visit to the island's breakaway Turkish-occupied north. Khan had defended his trip on 8 August in a letter to the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, claiming it was conducted 'in a personal capacity during the parliamentary recess'. But acknowledging the furore the visit had caused, the MP for Manchester Rusholme, who faced calls to resign, also said he felt it was 'best to stand down at this time so not to distract from the hard work the government is doing to secure the best possible trade deals for this country'. On Saturday, within hours of the British government confirming the resignation, the Cypriot foreign ministry called the decision an 'important development' that showed there could be zero tolerance for an entity recognised by no country except Turkey. In a statement it said: 'The recent illegal visit of British MP Afzal Khan to the areas of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkiye, as well as his meeting with [the territory's leader] Mr Ersin Tatar were unacceptable and provocative actions.' The episode had, the foreign ministry added, sent a resounding message 'that there is no room for tolerance'. 'It is clear … there must, and may be, political consequences regarding [the north] … especially for those who foster, assist or tolerate it.' Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when a coup aimed at union with Greece, engineered by the hard-right junta then in power in Athens, prompted Ankara to launch a military operation in the name of protecting the island nation's Turkish Cypriot minority. After years of inter-communal violence following independence from Britain, the two-phase invasion resulted in Turkish troops seizing 37% of Cyprus's territory and triggering mass displacement, with the majority Greek Cypriot population moving south of a UN-patrolled ceasefire line and Turkish Cypriots fleeing in the opposite direction. In 1983, the breakaway north unilaterally declared independence – prompting Britain, a guarantor power, to immediately convene a meeting of the UN security council condemning the declaration as 'legally invalid'. Successive governments in London and elsewhere have refused to engage in diplomatic relations with the entity ever since. Despite relentless efforts by Turkish Cypriot authorities to win recognition, only the international republic of Cyprus in the Greek-speaking south is acknowledged. When Keir Starmer last year made the first official visit to the island by a British prime minister in more than 50 years, Starmer refused to meet Tatar, instead holding talks with the Cypriot president, Nikos Christodoulides. Turkey, to this day, maintains about 35,000 troops in the north. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion On Saturday Tatar, a hardline nationalist who advocates a two-state solution to resolving the Cyprus problem, decried the pressure put on Khan, saying the British MP had visited the self-proclaimed mini-state at his own invitation. 'The fact that an elected MP was forced to resign from his position as the UK's trade envoy to Turkey simply for engaging with the Turkish Cypriot people is a warning sign for all those who believe in democracy and equality,' said Tatar. Diaspora groups in the UK where large numbers of Greek and Turkish Cypriots settled after 1974 said Khan's visit had been especially 'politically insensitive' because it coincided with the 51st anniversary of the invasion, the second phase of which began in mid-August 1974, as well as continuing UN efforts to restart talks to reunite the island. 'Afzal Khan was right to resign as the UK trade envoy to Turkey following his deeply inappropriate and unacceptable visit to the occupied north of Cyprus,' said Christos Karaolis, who heads the National Federation of Cypriots in Britain. 'His actions compromised the UK's longstanding foreign policy on Cyprus, contravened international law and disrespected the lived experiences of our UK Cypriot community, many of whom are refugees or descendants of those forcibly displaced by Turkey's 1974 invasion. We now look ahead to continued collaboration with HM government in support of a free and reunited Cyprus.'
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Cash-strapped fire chiefs spend £500k on diversity roles as stations crumble
Scotland's fire service has splurged almost £500,000 on 'woke' diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) staff and projects in just three years. An audit of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's (SFRS) spending shows that its salary bill for 'diversity, equality, equity and inclusion' jobs has hit £458,121 since 2023. It has also spent taxpayer cash on initiatives such as branded lanyards and continues to pay a membership to Stonewall, despite other organisations ending their affiliation with the controversial LGBT charity. The revelations follow SFRS proposals to close up to 13 fire stations due to 'funding cuts', with the service having seen its budget fall by £57 million in real terms over 10 years. It also comes amid concerns for public and staff safety as almost half of Scotland's fire stations are in 'poor' or 'bad' condition. Almost three quarters of fire engines in Scotland are more than a decade old, while 18 fire stations do not have running water. Sharon Dowey, community safety spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: 'The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service can ill-afford to be shelling out on woke DEI jobs and virtue-signalling exercises. The last thing they should be doing is throwing good money after bad on out of touch ideologies. 'SNP ministers must urgently work alongside the SFRS to ensure that crucial resources are being used appropriately rather than being squandered in this vein.' A freedom of information request by the Tories found that £484,888.07 had been spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion since 2023. That includes the salary bill, as well as £200 on branded lanyards to promote equality. Other initiatives include spending £6,000 on hosting an event to celebrate Scottish Women in the Fire Service in 2024. It also handed £8,937 to Stonewall as part of its Diversity Champion Membership, which offers guidance for employers on pronouns and gender-neutral spaces. The DEI spending also comes as the SFRS faces a number of operational difficulties. Figures last year showed the fragile state of the service, with 45 per cent of fire stations in poor or bad condition and 73 per cent of fire engines more than ten years old. The MoS told in June how 18 fire stations do not have running water, with some having to depend on wet wipes to wash down equipment. Assistant Chief Officer Jon Henderson, director of prevention at the SFRS, said: 'Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our working culture. 'This includes our employment practices, the services we provide and the values we work towards, which makes us a better organisation.' He added: 'It is well documented that SFRS has an insurmountable capital backlog of more than £800 million and that many of our ageing buildings require action. 'These areas are funded through different budget types and, as such, cannot be directly compared to our DEI-related spend.
Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Telegraph
‘Eco-hypocrite' Miliband refuses to reveal his number of domestic flights
Ed Miliband has been branded an eco 'hypocrite' after refusing to reveal how many domestic flights he has taken. Ministers insisted the Energy Secretary would not disclose any details about his air travel within the UK since he entered office last July. Claire Coutinho, shadow energy secretary, said the refusal represented 'one rule for him and another for everyone else' given that the Left-wing frontbencher has been a vociferous opponent of domestic air travel. Labour has also forced through significant increases to air passenger duty that have added hundreds of pounds to some family holidays. The accusation came after a Conservative MP challenged the Energy Secretary to publish details of the internal UK flights he has taken since the last election. Answering on Mr Miliband's behalf, Michael Shanks, the energy minister, replied: 'Details of internal domestic flights are not published.' Claire Coutinho, the Tory shadow energy secretary, said: 'As Ed Miliband sticks a holiday tax of up to £400 on a family of four, it does seem the height of hypocrisy that he won't reveal his own flights, which are funded by the taxpayer. 'People expect transparency and fairness from their politicians, but when it comes to the most stringent net zero costs, it's one rule for him and another for everyone else.' Mr Miliband's stance is in line with other Whitehall departments, which also do not release details of ministers' domestic flights. The Government said it was 'the practice of successive administrations', including Tory ones, not to 'publish granular information' about their movements. Mr Miliband, who is in charge of net zero policies, has previously said Britons should cut down on such flights 'as much as we possibly can'. But he was embarrassed earlier this year when it emerged his department is spending more on internal flights under his watch than the Tories. Figures released in April revealed it spent £44,000 on domestic flights for ministers and officials between July and December last year. That was more than the £40,000 spent in the first half of 2024 by the Tories, when Ms Coutinho was in charge of the net zero ministry. Mr Miliband has previously suggested that the Government should encourage ordinary voters to take trains and buses rather than flying. Asked when he was shadow business secretary whether domestic flights should be banned, he said: 'Not completely, but as much as we possibly can.' Speaking to the BBC in 2021, he added: 'Fairness and giving people alternatives is an absolutely key part of making this transition happen.' Labour repeatedly criticised the Conservatives for taking flights and pledged before the election to clamp down on ministers' use of jets. But since taking office, Mr Miliband has been heavily criticised for jet-setting, which has seen him spend 10 times more on foreign trips than Ms Coutinho. The Energy Secretary spent £62,712 on overseas travel in his first six months in office, according to Taxpayers' Alliance analysis, In contrast, his Tory predecessor spent just £6,155 during her first half-year in the role.
