The Tories Won't Be Rescued by Cozying Up to Reform
The UK Conservative Party is notoriously brutal when it comes to dispatching underperforming leaders. It's one reason the party has been among the most successful electoral machines in modern political history, and why the lifespan of a Tory leader is about as assured as that of a Premier League football manager. Lose an election, you're out. Tank the economy and you'll be tossed aside like a moldy lettuce. Plummet in the opinion polls, and brace for a challenge from a so-called colleague — just ask Margaret Thatcher.
This ruthless streak poses a problem for Kemi Badenoch, elected as opposition leader less than six months ago and already facing grumbles in parliament and the media about her perceived sub-par performances, lack of impact and polls that consistently declare her the least popular of the main party leaders. On May 1, Badenoch faces the first major electoral test of her brief leadership, when 24 local councils and six mayoralties will be contested, along with a House of Commons by-election.
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No threat to British sovereignty over Gibraltar deal, says Lammy
British sovereignty over Gibraltar remains "sacrosanct", the foreign secretary has said, after the UK agreed a deal with the European Union over the territory's post-Brexit future. David Lammy told the House of Commons the agreement included a clause "explicitly protecting our sovereignty". The deal removes checks on people and goods crossing the Gibraltar-Spain border. However, some MPs raised concerns Spanish border officials would be able to deny entry to UK citizens flying into the British Overseas Territory. For travellers arriving at Gibraltar airport, passport checks will be carried out by both Gibraltarian and Spanish officials. This is similar to the system in place for Eurostar passengers at London's St Pancras station, where travellers pass through both British and French passport control before boarding international trains. This means it will be possible for arrivals to continue their travel from Gibraltar into Spain and the rest of the EU without further checks. But Lammy insisted Gibraltar would not be joining the Schengen free travel area - 26 European states that have abolished passport control at their mutual border so people can travel freely. Schengen countries also have common rules on asylum and countries whose nationals require visas. Lammy said it was "fake news" that Gibraltar would be joining Schengen and "this was never on the table". "Immigration, policing and justice in Gibraltar will remain the responsibilities of Gibraltar's authorities," he added. UK agrees post-Brexit deal over Gibraltar Falklands and Gibraltar will stay British, PM says Talks on the rules governing the border between Spain and Gibraltar - a 2.6 square mile headland to the south of the country - have been ongoing since the UK left the EU in 2020. The issue had been a key sticking point, which has remained unresolved since Brexit. MPs broadly welcomed the deal, which has been hailed as "historic" by Gibraltar, Spain and the EU. Giving a statement in the Commons, Lammy said Labour was "solving the problems leftover from the last [Conservative] government and their thin Brexit deal". He added that the deal "removes another obstacle to closer ties with our EU friends" and "provides much needed certainty for people and businesses in Gibraltar". An estimated 15,000 people cross the Gibraltar-Spain border every day for work and leisure. Currently, Gibraltar residents can cross using residence cards without needing to have their passports stamped, while Spanish citizens can cross using a government ID card. But there were concerns this would end with the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit system later this year, causing huge delays at the border. Lammy said without a deal every passport and all goods would need to be checked leading to "chaos and backlogs, endangering livelihoods of British citizens in Gibraltar, wrecking the territory's economy and possibly costing hundreds of billions of pounds a year, placing pressure ultimately on the UK taxpayer to pick up the bill". The next step is for a full legal text to be finalised, which Lammy said all parties were "committed to completing as quickly as possible". The Conservatives have said they will examine the the final treaty to ensure it meets their red lines, including that it safeguards the sovereignty and rights of Gibraltarians. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel also questioned whether Spanish officers would be able to stop British citizens coming to stay in Gibraltar. Lammy insisted the only difference to what Conservative ministers had previously been negotiating was the sovereignty clause, which he said would ensure there was no question over Gibraltar's status. The UK has had sovereignty over Gibraltar since 1713, although this is disputed by Spain, who claim the territory as their own. Public opinion in Gibraltar, which has a population of around 32,000, is in favour of keeping British sovereignty. The most recent referendum, held in 2002, saw almost 99% of voters reject a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain. The UK said there would also be full operational autonomy for the UK's military's facilities in Gibraltar, where the airport is run by the Ministry of Defence and hosts an RAF base. Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Helen Maguire welcomed the agreement, while calling for Parliament to get the opportunity to scrutinise and vote on it. However, Reform UK have described the deal as a "surrender". Deputy leader Richard Tice raised concerns Spanish border officials would have "an effective veto" on British citizens from the UK landing in Gibraltar. Lammy clarified that if there was an alert in relation to an arrival Spanish border guards and police would work alongside Gibraltarian police. An individual would have the right to legal advice and be able to either return to their country of origin or go to Spain to face questions. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
Yahoo
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‘In 14 years, never anything like this': Ballymena's foreigners describe fear after rioting
When the mob comes hunting down Clonavon Road, the foreigners who remain entrust their fate to stickers on front doors and flags on windows that signal they are the good foreigners, the foreigners who cause no trouble, and deserve to be spared. 'Filipino lives here,' declare posters with the Filipino flag, pasted as talismans against destruction. Other families have erected union jacks and loyalist bunting in hope of deflecting the crowd's wrath and avoiding selection. 'We put it up yesterday,' said Blanka Harnagea, 38, an immigrant from the Czech Republic, indicating the British flag on her living room window. Was it working? A wry smile. 'We're still here.' On a street of scorched, abandoned homes it was a fragile victory because no one knows if the rioting that has scarred the Antrim town of Ballymena this week will abate or continue and spread to other towns in Northern Ireland. Hundreds of people, many masked and hooded, targeted foreign-owned homes and businesses on Monday and Tuesday in a spree of smashing, burning and missile-throwing that turned into assaults on police that left 32 officers injured and several properties and vehicles torched. In the House of Commons, Keir Starmer joined Northern Ireland politicians in condemning the violence and pleading for calm. But foreign residents in Ballymena still grappled with the decision: flee, or hunker down and hope for the best? 'The crowd was banging on the door and we were all upstairs,' said David, a 28-year-old Polish man who withheld his surname. Two Polish and Bulgarian families – about 12 people in all – had clustered together for safety and wedged a sofa against the front door when the mob smashed windows and set fire to the living room, he said. 'I smelled the smoke. We came down and ran out the back door to the police station.' On Wednesday afternoon the sun shone and debris from the night's mayhem had been cleared away, but the food processing plant worker and his pregnant girlfriend were packing and preparing to relocate – just for a few days, they hope, but some members of her family wish to return to Bulgaria. 'I'm here 14 years, never anything like this,' said David. His voice shook. The violence erupted on Monday after a vigil for a teenage girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by two 14-year-old boys. When they appeared in court a Romanian interpreter read them the charge of attempted rape. The vigil was peaceful but when a crowd broke away and started attacking homes occupied by foreigners on Clonavon Road and nearby streets a full-scale riot erupted, drawing police who then bore the brunt of attacks. Liam Kelly, chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said his members had prevented a pogrom. 'What we saw was totally mindless, unacceptable and feral.' Some native residents of Ballymena, in contrast, believe it was necessary – an overdue reckoning. Authorities have turned the predominantly Protestant working-class town, 25 miles north-west of Belfast, into a 'dumping ground' for immigrants and asylum seekers, they said. 'The riots have a valid point; we are being overpopulated,' said Danielle O'Neill, 32. 'It sounds like I'm racist but I'm not. It's like an invasion. I don't feel safe walking the streets any more. Just yesterday one of them was following me and eyeing me up.' O'Neill credited some arrivals with working hard and creating jobs, but she accused others of criminality – a bane that authorities ignored. 'If they can terrorise our kids we can terrorise the town. It's a way of getting our voices heard.' Her husband, Ryan O'Neill, 33, said residents had to take action against alleged criminals. 'If the government won't put them out, we'll put them out.' One resident said rioters – some with paramilitary connections – had ordered householders to deactivate door bell cameras and other devices that might identify those responsible for the mayhem. Proclaiming Filipino nationality has had limited value – at least one Filipino household was targeted and had its car torched. Tyler Hoey, Ballymena's deputy mayor and a Democratic Unionist party councillor, condemned the violence and said foreigners were welcome but accused the UK government of allowing 'busloads' of unvetted people to settle in the town. 'Unfettered immigration needs to be addressed.' Dee, 53, a bottling plant worker, said the rioting reflected a belief that new arrivals received lavish state benefits and that police and politicians turned a blind eye to antisocial behaviour. 'I'm working my balls off and paying my taxes while they get put up in luxury hotels and the police let them do what they want. It's a dumping ground. No one cares about us, we're forgotten.' Dee said he recognised – and welcomed – Catholics from other parts of Ballymena who joined the protests. 'They wouldn't normally be in a loyalist area like this but they came down. It's a very good thing.' Dee regretted that his immediate neighbours – a Slovak family – had their windows smashed. The previous occupants were 'a nightmare' but the Slovaks were 'brilliant' and should not have been targeted. 'They got hit in the heat of the moment. It was a mistake.' Those responsible had apologised and told the family it could stay, said Dee. On an adjoining street, Harnagea, the Czech mother of five, hoped her newly installed union jack would bolster the protective efforts of her neighbour, a local man. 'He knows we're good people, that we don't do any harm,' she said. 'I think he has explained that to the others.' Even so, as a precaution she has moved documents and other belongings to another location. 'I haven't slept in three days. I don't know if I'll sleep tonight.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
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Badenoch urges business leaders to ‘get on the pitch' and support Tories
Businesses need to 'get on the pitch' to speak up against policies they think are damaging their prospects, Kemi Badenoch has said. The Conservative leader also appealed to business leaders to support her party, suggesting there was no credible alternative which would represent their interests. Speaking at the FTSE 250+ conference in central London, Mrs Badenoch said: 'My message to business is: I'm on your side, but I need you to be on mine too.' The Tory leader's appearance at the gathering came as the latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures showed the UK economy shrank more than expected, the day after the Government unveiled spending plans prioritising health and defence over the next few years. Speaking to an audience of business and investment chiefs, Mrs Badenoch hit out at Labour's tax rises, including the inheritance tax on family farms and national insurance employer contributions. She added: 'You need to support policies that back enterprise, and you need to challenge those who want more state control. 'Don't just wait for other politicians to do it. 'You need to get on the pitch too.' The Tory leader claimed the UK has 'forgot that business is a good in and of itself, and it pays for everything. It is the source of our prosperity'. Mrs Badenoch added: 'The challenge all of us in this room have now is that many people don't believe this anymore.' People instead believe 'business hoards wealth' and is 'greedy and needs to be taxed more', she said. Mrs Badenoch continued: 'This is a crisis. 'And the question before us is simple: Who has credible solutions? 'And I know many of you will be asking, 'Why should we trust the Conservative Party?' 'And I say because no-one is making the argument for business … except me and my party.' At PMQs I talked about Labour creating an economic spiral. A reminder we have 4 more years of this… — Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) June 12, 2025 Labour offers only 'managed decline', she said, before taking aim at Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. Mrs Badenoch appealed to the audience, signalling voters cannot 'allow Farage, with no experience of legislating – he's never in Parliament, let alone government – to just come in'. She added: 'Can you imagine 360 random people suddenly taking over government saying they are going to fix everything? 'We were there for 14 years, sweating and labouring, it was unbelievably difficult. 'How many of you would allow your businesses to be run by people who have never been in that business and say 'Come on in, I'm sure you can fix it'? 'That's what he's offering, it's not real. 'It is a scam, and it's my job to expose that scam.' A Reform UK spokesman said: 'Kemi admits they had 14 years and yet all they achieved was sky high taxes, low growth and open borders. 'The only scam is her telling the British public that the Tories have changed. 'It's the same people and the same old failed ideas. 'Quite simply, the Tory party is irrelevant.'
