Bid to save Britain from more riots and ease community tensions launched by expert taskforce
Former Home Secretary Sir Sajid Javid says growing community tensions have been ignored by politicians for too long.
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He said: 'Successive governments have treated community and cohesion as second-tier issues — responding only when tensions spill over and too often ignoring the root causes.'
Sir Sajid is co-chairman — with ex- Labour MP Jon Cruddas — of the cross-party Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion.
Sir Keir Starmer has warned of mounting 'cracks in our foundation', while Nigel Farage has warned of civil unrest because of anger over immigration.
The taskforce was set up following last summer's riots in Southport, Sunderland and across the UK and meets for the first time today.
It brings together 21 experts from politics, business, media and religion, including Reform -supporting commentator Tim Montgomerie, founder of Cobra beer Lord Bilimoria and former counter-extremism czar Dame Sara Khan.
Brendan Cox of Together, which assembled the commission, said: 'Declining community connection and growing division is an existential threat to democracy.
'It won't be solved by more of the same - or by a single party or government.
'We will only see progress if we can forge both a shared vision of where we are going, and an effective roadmap of how to get there.
'That's not an easy thing to do - especially not in the current climate - but it's an extraordinary group of people who have committed to helping try.'
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Times
an hour ago
- Times
Wave of protests planned at migrant hotels this weekend
Asylum hotels across the country will be hit by a wave of anti-immigration protests this weekend, The Times understands. Dozens of demonstrations were being planned on Thursday as it emerged that a record 111,000 people had claimed asylum in the UK during Sir Keir Starmer's first year in office. At least 27 protests have been organised after a High Court judge ordered the removal of migrants from a hotel in Epping, Essex, on Tuesday, with many communities hoping to replicate the results of the landmark ruling in their own areas by taking to the streets. Anti-racism groups are also scrambling to co-ordinate counter-protests, claiming towns and cities could experience the most disruption since the riots last summer. The Times has found that at least eight demonstrations are set to take place on Friday in Cardiff, Chichester, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Leeds, Orpington, Cheshunt and Altrincham. Some 14 more — in towns and cities including Hawley, Cannock, Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Tamworth, Wakefield, Liverpool, Oldham, Exeter, Oxford, Perth and Aberdeen — are planned for Saturday. Another two are being organised in Manchester and Dudley on Sunday. Next week, hotels in Falkirk, Gloucester and Stockport have also been earmarked for action. The plans for protests came as: • New figures revealed that claims for refugee status hit a record high in the year to June, nearly doubling the level seen in 2021; • There was also an 8 per cent rise in the number of asylum seekers in hotels, from 29,585 to 32,059, during Labour's first year in power; • Ten Labour-controlled councils confirmed they were reviewing the implications of the High Court judgment, with some considering their own legal options; • Ministers planned to speed up attempts to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into disused tower blocks and former student accommodation which are closer to existing infrastructure. The High Court ruling was delivered after a resident of The Bell Hotel in Epping, which has been housing migrants for years, was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl. The alleged assault triggered a series of protests, with up to 2,000 demonstrators descending on the building to demand its closure. Many gathered peacefully, but others reacted violently and 16 protesters were charged. Figures from the far-right group Homeland had helped to organise the demonstrations. Epping Forest district council was granted a temporary injunction to stop the hotel housing migrants, on the basis that its owners had not applied for planning permission for a change in its use. The council also argued that its closure was needed to keep local residents safe and remove 'the catalyst for violent protests in public places'. The ruling appears to have inspired people across the country to demonstrate in the hope that similar action can be taken to close hotels in their communities. Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, encouraged more people to march on their local asylum hotels and 'express their genuine concerns in a peaceful, friendly way'. He said he condemned 'all violent, non-peaceful protests'. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, echoed his call to action saying residents should put pressure on their councils to 'go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out'. Other Reform figures have been sharing partially-inaccurate lists on social media naming hundreds of hotels across the UK. Some of the hotels being targeted are understood to house families rather than single men. Ryan Coogan, previously the Reform candidate to be the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, published a list of 262 hotels supposedly housing asylum seekers on his Facebook page earlier this month, which has been shared 1,000 times. The government is only using 210 hotels. 'This list is compiled by the public and my community of followers, may not be 100 per cent accurate … and should not be relied upon as a definitive record,' he said. Reform was contacted for comment. Local authorities across the country said the Epping ruling set a precedent for copycat litigation. As many as ten Labour-run councils have now joined other local authorities run by the Tories, Reform, the DUP and the Liberal Democrats in investigating the implications of the ruling. Denise Jeffery, the Labour leader of Wakefield council in West Yorkshire, said that the hotels had put 'significant strain' on local communities. She said the council had been raising concerns with the Home Office since 2023 and was 'carefully considering' the ruling. Matthew Tomlinson, the leader of South Ribble council in Lancashire, said the use of hotels for the housing of asylum seekers 'was imposed on us by government'. He added: 'We will now carefully examine the detail and circumstances surrounding the High Court injunction and explore all of our options.' Stevenage council in Hertfordshire said it was also 'actively investigating alleged breaches [of planning control] relating to the operation of hotels' but would gather all facts before deciding what action to take. Reform has already said that the councils it controls were exploring their own legal options and Kemi Badenoch urged all Conservative councils to 'take the same steps' as Epping if they could. Chris Whitbread, the leader of Epping Forest district council, successfully challenged the use of a hotel for asylum seekers VUK VALCIC/ALAMY Protesters, some of whom have been staging near-weekly protests outside hotels, said they were gearing up for 'big' demonstrations this weekend; however it was unclear on Thursday night how many were set to attend. Organisers of the 'Stand Up Leeds — No To Illegal Migrants' Facebook page said they had procured a 'shit load of placards' and a 'shipment of flags' for a protest on Friday. Other protest leaders urged demonstrators to follow the rules of 'no masks, no alcohol, no violence'. Richard Donaldson, the leader of The Great British National Protest group, has been sharing details of planned demonstrations on Facebook with the slogan 'For our children, for our future'. The former soldier has previously called on far-right figures including Tommy Robinson, Paul Golding and Nick Tenconi to 'unite' and 'lock this country down for weeks'. Lewis Nielsen of the pressure group Stand Up to Racism said: 'We're in a dangerous moment. This weekend is set to see the biggest number of far-right demonstrations since the riots last summer. 'It's been proven many of these are organised by known fascists and Hitler admirers. They are being openly called out on to the streets by Nigel Farage and the Tories. They are responsible if we see a repeat of last summer's far right riots.' A Greater Manchester police source said officers would be present at planned events in the area 'to facilitate peaceful protest' but that backup would be on hand 'in case of any criminality'.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Britain is facing an autumn of discontent: Essential services to be crippled by weeks of strikes
Britain is bracing itself for an autumn of discontent with essential services across the country crippled by strikes in coming weeks. London Underground workers are to walk out next month in a dispute over pay and conditions, the RMT union announced on Thursday. The workers will begin the week-long walkout on Friday, September 5, just as schools reopen and office staff return to their normal routines. Union leaders said rail bosses had 'refused to engage seriously' with their demands on pay as well as concerns about fatigue management and 'extreme shift patterns'. Underground workers were also demanding a reduction in the working week and to honour previous agreements made with staff. In a separate dispute over pay and conditions, workers on the Docklands Light Railway will also be striking during this period. The union said the action would bring 'significant disruption to the capital's transport network'. Meanwhile, GPs, junior doctors and nurses indicated they may strike during the winter months demanding higher pay and funding. And discontent has hit other sectors, including bin collectors in London, as well as Birmingham, where a five-month walkout is set to continue until Christmas over pay cuts. The threat of further strikes will come as a blow to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had hoped to tame the unions with promises of backdated public sector pay rises, as well as Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has attempted to balance demands from the unions with struggling government budgets. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government had a 'responsibility' to stand up to pay rise demands and keep the country working. 'You look at the range of pressures we're facing domestically, internationally, economically, public services, the expectations of the country, the pain that families are feeling in their pockets and I'm always conscious that over and above everyone else, Keir and Rachel are carrying all of those pressures together', he told the Political Currency podcast. 'And so I think it is our responsibility to say to our own departments, or own audiences, or the people we're responsible for and the services that we're responsible for, 'you need to understand that we can't do everything for everyone, everywhere, all at once'.' Martin Beck, WPI Strategy's chief economist, told The Telegraph that the impending train strikes could hugely impact the capital: 'We estimate that it could cost the London economy up to a quarter of a billion pounds in the form of lost revenue to TfL and London businesses, more congestion on the roads and extra travel time for commuters.' Labour Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan also blasted the walkouts. A spokesman said: 'Nobody wants to see strike action or disruption for Londoners. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government had a 'responsibility' to stand up to pay rise demands and keep the country working 'The mayor urges the RMT and TfL to get around the table to resolve this matter and avoid industrial action.' RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock. 'They are not after a King's ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members health and wellbeing- all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management. 'Coupled with the fact there are outstanding issues around staff travel arrangements, an atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no one is listening to them. 'RMT will continue to engage LU management with a view to seeking a revised offer in order to reach a negotiated settlement.' A Transport for London spokesperson said: 'We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points. 'We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4% pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously. 'We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable. 'Given the improvements we have recently put in place in response to concerns raised by our unions, we urge the RMT to put our fair, affordable pay offer to their members and to continue to engage with us rather than threaten strike action, which will only disrupt Londoners.' The strikes will involve different parts of the rail network striking at different times. On Friday September 5 and Saturday 6, managers at Ruislip depot are set to strike over pay, in a separate walkout to the main dispute. The Central Line is likely to be affected. On Sunday 7, track access controllers, power control and Emergency Response Unit (ERU) workers will refuse to work. This is likely to cause long delays in the case of any incidents and could affect all Tube lines. On Monday 8 and Wednesday 10, the majority of engineers and station workers will walk out, which will likely lead to stations closing from lack of staff and fewer trains available on the network. While on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11, signallers, service control and ERU members will strike. This is likely to cancel most of the services as trains are not able to safely run without signalling staff.
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Britain is buying new air defence missile systems - but can they protect us?
Why you can trust Sky News The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced it will buy £118m worth of air defence missile systems for the British Army. But will this new purchase protect an increasingly vulnerable UK from attack, and why now? For more than 50 years, the British Army relied on the Rapier air defence missile system to protect deployed forces. In 2021, that system was replaced by Sky Sabre. The new system is mobile, ground-based, and designed to counter various aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, drones, and guided munitions. It's known for its speed, accuracy, and ability to integrate with other military assets, including those of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (and NATO). What is the Land Ceptor missile, and why do we need more of them? Sky Sabre includes radar, command, and control capability and - most importantly - a missile to intercept incoming threats. The Land Ceptor missile weighs around 100kg, has a 10kg warhead, and can intercept threats out to around 15 miles (25km), making it around three times more effective than the Rapier system it replaced. When the MoD made the decision to replace the Rapier system, the global threat environment was very different to that experienced today. Since the end of the Cold War, the UK has been involved in expeditionary warfare - wars of choice - and generally against less capable adversaries. So, although the Land Ceptor missile is very capable, defence planning assumptions (DPAs) were that they would not need to be used in a serious way, commensurate with the threat. However, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated (as has the series of Iranian attacks on Israel), significantly larger stockpiles are required against a more capable enemy. Is the UK vulnerable to missile attack? In short, yes. Although the Land Ceptor missile does provide an excellent point-defence capability, it is not an effective counter to ballistic or hypersonic missiles - the Sea Viper mounted on Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyers using the Aster 30 missile has that capability. In the Cold War, the UK had Bloodhound missiles deployed around the UK to provide a missile defence capability, but as the perceived risks to the UK abated following the collapse of the Soviet Union, UK missile defence fell down the priorities for the MoD. Although the radar based at RAF Fylingdales forms part of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) can detect incoming threats, the UK no longer has an effective interceptor to protect critical national infrastructure. Instead, the UK relies on the layered defences of European allies to act as a deterrence against attack. In the near term, this timely order for Land Ceptor missiles doubles the British Army's tactical capability. However, as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated, ballistic (and increasingly hypersonic) missiles are being produced in increasing quantity - and quality. Without significant (and rapid) investment, this critical gap in national military capability leaves the UK vulnerable to attack.
