The problem with this Labour government is…
The Matts are joined by New European political editor James Ball to step back and reflect on why Keir Starmer's government is conspicuously failing to excite and unite a British public desperate for change after so many years of Tory rule. They have their theories. Is there an easy(-ish) answer? And who should they really be worried about if it's not Reform? In the second half, the Matts take a look at the new documentary into the life of Leni Riefenstahl, filmmaker to the Nazis, and ask what her post-war rehabilitation tells us about the intersection of culture and politics.
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Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Nigel Farage gets another slap in the face to end disastrous week of chaos
Nigel Farage has seen his Reform party descend into chaos after an MP's question was branded 'dumb', the chairman quit with a scathing message and Labour unexpectedly triumphed in the Hamilton by-election Nigel Farage may be wishing he had stayed on holiday. Reform UK is in chaos after its chairman quit hours after accusing the party's newest MP of asking a "dumb" question at PMQs. And shortly after it finished third in a hotly-contested by-election, despite being projected to beat Labour. To make matters worse for Mr Farage there are reports of disgruntlement as big donations fail to materialise. Following a brutal few days, his former-ally-turned-nemesis Rupert Lowe said he "must never be Prime Minister". It raises further questions about Mr Farage's ability to lead effectively as he tries to convince voters he can be trusted to run the country. Here we look at how the week unfolded for Mr Farage. Criticism over his holiday Mr Farage arrived back in Parliament on Monday with criticism about his termtime holiday ringing in his ears. You'll remember that he swanned off overseas rather than grill Keir Starmer about his EU reset agreement. Despite griping about the deal on social media, Mr Farage had already headed off on holiday when the PM came to the Commons to ask questions. He was slammed for "sunning himself in Europe" and being a "part time leader". A Tory spokesman said "the part-time leader of Reform UK is sunning himself in Europe while Parliament is sitting". He continued: "He clearly doesn't have the stamina to stand up to Starmer." And a Labour spokesman said: ' Nigel Farage clearly cares so passionately about this issue he's decided he can't get up from his sunbed to represent his constituents or his party. 'He's not a leader – he's an opportunist who just talks Britain down whenever it suits him." MP demands Starmer does something Reform wouldn't do either Things got tasty at PMQs on Wednesday when Reform's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, stood up to ask her first question of Mr Starmer. She demanded to know whether Mr Starmer would follow the lead of other countries in Europe and ban the burqa. Ms Pochin suggested it should be done in the name of "public safety". The problem is that her own party had not committed to doing it either - although colleagues have rolled in behind her. Mr Starmer said he was "not going to follow her down that line". Reform later clarified that banning the burqa was not one of its policies. Chairman brands MP's question 'dumb' The plot thickened when the party chairman, Zia Yusuf, publicly attacked Ms Pochin, branding her question "dumb". He posted on social media that he "learnt about the question and the party's position re: it not being policy for the first time on my X feed". But in a scathing conclusion he went on: "I do think it's dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do." Yusuf quits with scathing verdict Things went from bad to worse for Reform when Mr Yusuf decided he'd had enough. In a scathing post he said he no longer thought getting Reform into power was a "good use of my time". He had been brought in last year by Mr Farage to professionalise the party. But according to The Express he has been increasingly sidelined in recent weeks, setting the scene for a showdown with the leader. Mr Yusuf posted on Twitter /X: 'Eleven months ago I became chairman of Reform. 'I've worked full-time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30%, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results. I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.' Labour win surprise by-election Mr Farage started the week up in Scotland, where he may have been hopeful of an upset in the Hamilton by-election. It was expected to be a two-horse race between the SNP and Reform, but in the early hours of Friday it was confirmed that Labour had won the seat. Reform were pushed back into third. Mr Starmer said people had "voted for change" after Davy Russell won the Scottish Parliament seat. Mr Russell said the community had "sent a message to Farage and his mob tonight - the poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland and we don't want your division here." Frustration as donations do not materialise There was more bad news for Mr Farage as reports emerged of disgruntlement with Reform's new Treasurer. Insiders griped to the Financial Times that big donations have failed to materialise since property tycoon Nick Candy took over the role. One of them told the newspaper: 'He has been all talk and no trousers.' Another senior figure said the party had 'not been receiving as much as I'd like' in recent weeks. Reform UK has been contacted for comment. Farage 'must never be PM' says former ally Mr Farage's spectacular fallout with Rupert Lowe is another headache to contend with. You'll remember he was suspended and reported to police over allegations about his behaviour toward Mr Yusuf. The investigation was closed with no further action. The spat happened after Mr Lowe accused Mr Farage of acting like a "messiah" and venting frustration over his leadership. Reform insists the two things were not linked, but the battle looks set to continue for some time. Meanwhile it's fair to say Mr Lowe, who now sits as an independent MP, is enjoying what he sees. He posted on Twitter/X: "Farage says he would 'rather eat razor blades' than allow me back into Reform. " Having sat with him as an MP for eight months, I've already got plenty of them in my back. Farage and his ego are together incapable of building a team. He must never be Prime Minister."
Powys County Times
34 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Ask women if burka is genuinely their choice, says Reform UK's Richard Tice
Women who wear burkas should be asked if it is 'genuinely their choice', Reform UK's deputy leader has said amid a row over calls to ban the garment. Richard Tice said the issue should be subject to a 'national debate' as he entered the count for a Holyrood by-election on Thursday night. His comments followed the sudden resignation of Reform's chairman Zia Yusuf, who had described a call from the party's newest MP to ban the burka as 'dumb'. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, Mr Tice said: 'I think it is right that we should have a debate about whether or not the burka is appropriate for a nation that's founded in Christianity, where women are equal citizens and should not be viewed as second class citizens.' Asked whether he supported a ban, he said he was 'pretty concerned' about whether the burka was a 'repressive item of clothing', adding: 'Let's ask women who wear the burka, is that genuinely their choice?' Wearing face-covering clothes is currently banned in seven European countries – France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and Bulgaria – while other countries have enacted partial bans. On Wednesday, Reform's newest MP Sarah Pochin asked Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions whether he would support such a ban. A day later, Mr Yusuf said on social media that it had been 'dumb for a party to ask the PM if they would do something the party itself wouldn't do'. Shortly after that, he announced that he was quitting as Reform's chairman, saying that working to get the party elected was no longer 'a good use of my time'. Party leader Nigel Farage said he had had only 10 minutes' notice that Mr Yusuf was going to resign, adding he was 'genuinely sorry' that his chairman had decided to stand down. Mr Yusuf's resignation was accompanied by that of Nathaniel Fried, who was announced earlier this week as the head of a party team examining spending at Reform-controlled Kent County Council. Mr Fried said that as Mr Yusuf had 'got me in' it was 'appropriate for me to leave with him'. The resignations came as Reform UK hoped to win or come a close second in a by-election for the Holyrood seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. In the end, the party came third with 7,088 votes, 869 votes behind the SNP and 1,471 behind the winning Labour candidate.
Wales Online
37 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Gerry Adams to donate 100,000 euros to Irish language and Palestinian charities
Gerry Adams to donate 100,000 euros to Irish language and Palestinian charities Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, for which he denies any involvement Gerry Adams (Image: Brian Lawless/PA ) Gerry Adams said he will donate the 100,000 euros (£84,000) he is to receive in damages from the BBC to charities that help children in Gaza, the homeless in Ireland and Irish language groups. Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, for which he denies any involvement. Last Friday a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him 100,000 euros (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. The BBC will also have to pay Mr Adams's legal costs. During an eight-minute video posted on the official Sinn Fein YouTube channel, Mr Adams accused the BBC of showing "arrogance" when it did not resolve the dispute after he issued legal letters nine years ago. In Putting Manners On The BBC – The Gerry Adams Blog, Mr Adams said that the BBC has been held accountable for the content it broadcasts. Article continues below Mr Adams said: "As for the money that the jury awarded me in damages, I will donate this to good causes. "These will include the children of Gaza, groups in Ireland involved in helping the homeless, Cumann Carad, the Irish language sector and other projects like this in west Belfast." He added: "When the case began six weeks ago, the BBC's legal strategy was evident very quickly. Their narrative was that pursued by successive British and Irish governments for years. "They blamed everything during the conflict on Irish Republicans and by extension, during this trial, on me. "The BBC lawyers embarked on a Jesuitical presentation of the case that tried to convince the jurors that the words broadcast and published by the British Broadcasting Corporation, that I had sanctioned the murder of Denis Donaldson, did not, in fact, mean that I sanctioned the murder of Denis Donaldson. "They were, they said, that's the British Broadcasting Corporation, not defending the truth of the accusation. "Instead they were defending, they claimed, their journalism, which they said was fair and reasonable, in the public interest and made in good faith. "They concluded their case by trying to exert moral pressure on the jurors by claiming that a defeat for the British Broadcasting Corporation would be a blow to freedom of speech and a setback to victims. "In the end the jury didn't buy in to any of this. "On all the key issues the jurors unanimously accepted that the script used by the Spotlight programme did mean that I had sanctioned and approved the murder of Denis Donaldson." He said that after the BBC's decision to air the Spotlight programme, he decided to sue the broadcaster. Mr Adams said the BBC could have resolved the dispute there and then. "They chose not to. Why? That's a question to be asked. Why did they not resolve this issue when they could have? "Was it arrogance? Yes, that's part of it. But I also suspect political interference. "In January, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to a decision in the High Court in Belfast, which included that I and, by implication, up to 400 other former internees, were wrongfully detained and that we were entitled to compensation. "Mr Starmer told the British Parliament that he would look at every conceivable way to block compensation being paid." Mr Adams also urged the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan to met Denis Donaldson's family. He signed off by saying "slan agus tog go bog e", which means goodbye and take it easy. Article continues below Earlier this week the BBC was granted time to consider appealing against the jury's decision. The broadcaster was granted a stay on paying the full costs and damages to allow it time to consider whether to lodge an appeal. The stay was subject to paying half the damages (50,000 euros or £42,000) and 250,000 euros (£210,000) towards solicitors' fees.
