Divine intervention against cold callers
Years ago I decided to interrupt cold callers (Letters, 11 May) and say: 'Just a minute. Let us pray. O heavenly Father, who sees into our hearts. You will know when we are involved in an activity whereby we are trying to dupe an elderly lady out of all of her savings. In the light of this, I know that when I die I will be condemned to hell for an eternity. Amen.' I would then quietly put down the receiver. (One repeated 'Amen' after me.) It has worked. I no longer get cold calls.Lesley MatthewsShipley, West Yorkshire
The story of the miscarriage of justice that wrongly imprisoned Peter Sullivan for 38 years is difficult to grasp (Peter Sullivan has murder conviction quashed after 38 years in jail, 13 May). The court sketch of Peter by Julia Quenzler did more to convey the tragedy of his story than anything I've read. A testimony to her empathy and skill.Simon RewLondon
I find myself in even greater difficulty. Not only am I considered to be a 'citizen of nowhere', living in 'an island of strangers' (Letters, 14 May), but, coming from a coal-mining family and community, I am also 'the enemy within'. Leslie BeaumontCroston, Lancashire
I'm white and have lived on this island all my life. I don't want to integrate with people who hold the same negative attitudes towards migrants as Keir Starmer spouted this week. They will always be strangers to me – and me to them.Nick PriceNewcastle upon Tyne
There would be an outcry if the UK government took a 15% stake in, say, the Telegraph or the Sun. So it cannot be right to permit foreign states to do so (Report, 15 May).David MurrayWallington, London
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The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
PSNI prepares ‘scaled-up' operation for weekend after disorder
There will be 'a large policing presence across Northern Ireland' over the weekend, a senior officer has said. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the PSNI has prepared a 'scaled-up' policing operation in anticipation of any further disorder. He said the mobilisation, which would include officers from Scotland, was 'to reassure our communities and protect our streets'. It comes after 63 police officers were injured in what has been called a 'week of shame' in Northern Ireland. Disorder started in Ballymena on Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the Co Antrim town at the weekend, and continued throughout the week. A number of homes were targeted, and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has said about 50 households have received assistance across the week, and 14 families provided with emergency accommodation. Political leaders called for calm during a meeting of the British Irish Council in Newcastle, Co Down, on Friday. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said everyone is condemning the disorder and calling for it to stop. 'What we have seen over the last four days has been devastation, has been horrific for those people targeted – this is women and children, these are families, at the brunt of racist, violent attacks, and it is wrong on every level,' she said. 'The whole of the Executive is united on that front.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly described a 'difficult time for Northern Ireland', with 'disgraceful scenes of violent disorder', and said her thoughts are with the residents of the areas affected. Additional police officers from Scotland will support the Police Service of Northern Ireland after a mutual aid request. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said it was an illustration of how co-operation between police forces is 'absolutely essential'. While disorder in Ballymena raged across Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, it appeared to have abated on Thursday. However, there was still disorder in Portadown. There have also been incidents in other towns, including the burning of Larne Leisure Centre on Wednesday and an arson attack on a house in Coleraine in the early hours of Friday from which a man and woman, and four young children escaped. It is being treated by police as arson with a racially motivated hate element. Twenty-two police officers were injured in overnight disorder in Portadown after they came under sustained attack with heavy masonry, fireworks and beer kegs in the Co Armagh town on Thursday. A woman in her 50s and a man in his 30s were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and other offences in connection with the disorder in Portadown. There was also sporadic disorder elsewhere in Northern Ireland on Thursday night, following mainly peaceful protests, including in the Templemore Avenue area of east Belfast, where bricks were thrown through the windows of two houses in Avoniel Road in what police have called a racially motivated attack. A small fire at the Manse Road roundabout in Newtownabbey was also reported, and anti-immigration hate graffiti is being investigated in Newtownards. Meanwhile, a house fire in the Mount Street area of Coleraine which led to the evacuation of a family with three young children is being treated as deliberate and a racially motivated hate crime. The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said that since violence erupted in Ballymena on Monday, 63 officers have been injured. Federation chairman Liam Kelly said it has been 'a week of shame with appalling levels of unrest in towns and cities'. 'Burning people out of their homes, attacking a leisure centre, and the specific targeting of individuals and property fuelled by overt racism and prejudice, is totally deplorable,' he said. 'Yet again, our overstretched police officers have also been attacked with petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks as they sought to keep people safe and maintain law and order. 'They have held the line with great courage and professionalism and are owed a debt of gratitude by this community. 'They went to the aid of vulnerable people, have prevented further savage attacks and have undoubtedly saved lives.' Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned on Thursday that his officers would be coming after the 'bigots and racists' behind the disorder. He also said that the young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend had been 'further traumatised' by the rioting across the week.
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Nobody who enters UK illegally should EVER be allowed to stay – it's totally unfair on law-abiding, taxpaying Brits
IT is barely gone 11.30am and Nigel Farage is already clutching a pint. Not an unusual sight for the man once forced to clarify that he is 'a boozer, not an alcoholic'. 5 5 5 But today's glass of 'Remainer tears' — the name plastered on the tap from which the beer was poured — will taste particularly sweet, for he is drinking it in Britain's very first 'Reform pub'. The Talbot in Blackpool used to be associated with the Conservative Party, but, like so many people in the country the landlord and his punters have switched allegiances. Now it is Farage to whom they give a hero's welcome as he and his entourage sweep into the seaside town on an overcast Thursday morning. Dozens of mostly middle-to-older-aged men, many sporting Reform's turquoise ties, have gathered to see the closest thing they have to a political rock star. A beaming Farage enters the venue to a wall of cheers, then the usual scrum for handshakes and selfies begins. So does he regard himself to be the ultimate man of the people? 'Politicians invent myths of who they are to try to sell themselves to the public,' he tells me. 'I am deeply worried' 'I never do any of that. I'm just as I am. 'Quite frankly, I don't care whether people like me or don't like me, but I think I'm able to go out and talk to everybody in a way that perhaps Sir Keir is not.' Fury as hotel firm housing asylum seekers in 'all-inclusive resorts' paid £700M a year of YOUR money Farage is certainly true to his word to be straight-talking as we tackle some of the UK's most pressing problems. I also appear to have a live audience for my interview, for the punters show no signs of going back to their drinks, instead cheering on their man as he gives his answers. Our discussion comes in the shadow of the ugly riots in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. What began as a peaceful protest against two Roma teenagers accused of attempted rape has spiralled into nights of hate-fuelled violence. Mr Farage confesses he is 'deeply worried' that similar unrest could erupt across Britain, blaming decades of failure to control the nation's borders and manage integration. He claims communities feel 'ignored' when voicing concerns about the strain mass arrivals place on crime rates and public services. To raucous applause from the Talbot faithful, he declares that years of dismissing such grievances as 'you're a bad person' have turned the country into a pressure cooker. 5 'In the end, it explodes,' he warns. 'Nobody condones setting fire to houses and hunting down foreigners. 'But there was a population of people, the Roma people, that were put into Ballymena who cannot possibly integrate with the locals and have a completely different set of standards of life beliefs. 'Immigration only works if you have integration with it. 'If you don't, you have a divide. And where human beings are divided, history teaches us, you get conflict. 'I am very, very deeply worried about what's happening.' Our conversation turns to comments made last year by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who sparked outrage by suggesting that 'not all cultures are equally valid' in determining who should be allowed into the country. While Mr Farage makes a catty joke that he has 'never heard of' Ms Badenoch — a recent strategy to push her into irrelevance — he dismisses the notion of comparing cultures as a waste of time. 'Our culture is our culture. Whether it's superior or inferior to Far Eastern culture or wherever else is irrelevant. 'It's our culture. It's what we know. It's what we love. And we don't want anybody from anywhere challenging it and threatening it.' I ask about reports that white British children have now become a minority in some schools. 'It's not about colour — it's about do you fit in with the community,' he says. 'Totally unfair' He continues: 'One of the reasons Reform is doing so well is because this party is framed around values: Family, community, country. 'If you get huge numbers of people coming in who have totally different value systems, it doesn't matter whether they are white or black or Asian. That's irrelevant. They're not going to fit in.' The topic shifts to illegal migration — comfortable terrain for the Reform leader, who launches into a devastating attack on Sir Keir's approach to 'smashing the gangs' and ridiculing Chancellor Rachel Reeves' promise to end the use of costly hotels, albeit not for another four years. Farage reminds me he first warned of an 'invasion' in 2020, recalling the backlash he faced for taking to the Channel in a boat to highlight the surge of dinghies arriving in Kent. 'I was vilified. But 150,000 men later, I think I'm about right.' Home Office statistics reveal a record 14,812 illegals arrived in small boats during the first five months of this year alone. By comparison, in 2024, that figure wasn't reached until July. On Saturday, May 31, 1,194 migrants landed in England on dinghies — the highest number in a single day, obliterating the previous record of 825 set earlier in the month. Immigration only works if you have integration with it. If you don't, you have a divide. And where human beings are divided, history teaches us, you get conflict Nigel Farage Reform has pledged to deport 'every illegal immigrant' in Britain, but the party has yet to convince the public it has a credible plan for achieving this. When pressed on how Reform would succeed where both the Tories and Labour have failed, Farage replies: 'Understand it's not an easy thing to do. We're giving it real, real thought. 'But be clear, no one who comes into Britain illegally should ever be given permanent leave to remain, should ever be going to the benefit system. 'It's totally unfair to law-abiding taxpayers in this country. It's also totally unfair to immigrants who come to Britain legally and spend a lot of money and time doing it.' The answer seems good enough for the gathered voters who cheer their man as we wrap up our interview. The moment the interview ends, Leah Pettinger, a 49-year-old service veteran from Barnsley, who is one of the attendees, presents her political hero with a portrait she did in her new life as an artist. 'Common sense' In the painting Mr Farage's eyes are bulging out of their sockets because he has his 'Eyes On The Prize' — the title of the artwork. 'I think he's a man of the people,' she tells me. 'He has spoken to a lot of ordinary people here today. He has pulled himself a lovely pint of lefty tears from the bar, which is fantastic.' She is echoed by 76-year-old Jim Redgewell, a former Labour voter who has become a Reform fan. 'I was brought up to be a Labour voter, but life has taught me it's not quite right,' he says. 'I don't mind where people come from, because I'm associated with all sorts of people. 'You know, gay people, black people, Chinese. I don't care where they come from, as long as they don't harm the people that I know. 'We want a safe country to live in, where we can trust the police.' John Ormston, the 55-year-old owner of Kodak Express Blackpool, experienced a similar political awakening — but in his case swapped sides from the Tories. He says: 'The Conservatives were given a massive mandate, Boris didn't deliver, so like a lot of other Conservatives, we just fell out. 'It wasn't conservatism — there's not been conservatism for a long, long time, and I believe Nigel brings back not only the conservative side, but he also brings back common sense.' As Mr Farage drains the last of his pint, the Reform faithful around him buzz with a sense of renewed purpose. For many in that pub, he has not just aired their frustrations — he has voiced a worldview they felt had long been ignored. Whether Reform can turn that raw energy into a Westminster government remains to be seen — but in the Talbot in Blackpool, the revolution was already on tap. 5
Wales Online
33 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Fears new M4 service station could become 'destination in its own right'
For generations, Wales' rail network has been starved of investment. We've been left with a rail network that is outdated and not fit for the nation's needs. There is no good reason why more money should be spent per resident in England on rail infrastructure than in Wales. We have far less electrified track than England and fewer modern services. We've been campaigning since the start of the year to raise awareness of the two massive opportunities Keir Starmer's government has this year to act. We wanted to put pressure on politicians to do something about it. You can help put pressure on him to do use this historic opportunity by signing WalesOnline's petition on the UK government website calling for fair rail funding for Wales. Very simply, we want people in England and Wales to be treated the same when it comes to rail. We've now had the results of the first of those two massive opportunities. Thanks to the pressure from the Welsh Government, Welsh Labour MPs, opposition parties and ourselves, Rachel Reeves has promised Wales nearly half a billion pounds for rail. There are arguments over whether this in itself is enough, what it will be spent on and what time period it is being spent over. But it is undeniably good news that work can start on some much needed projects. These include five new train stations on the south Wales mainline. Later on in the year, Mr Starmer's government is planning a major bit of rail legislation that will be a once-in-a-generation chance to put in place a mechanism to guarantee fairness in perpetuity. Read more about this here. There are arguments about how this should be done but widespread agreement that things must change. One academic told WalesOnline the Wales always comes at the bottom of the pile and will continue to unless there is full devolution. Another told us there was no appetite in either Cardiff Bay or Westminster for devolution and this lack of ambition was repeating the biggest mistake the Welsh Government had ever made. There are fears that unless there is full devolution, Wales will suffer every time the UK government cuts spending but protects major projects in England, as is happening right now. However the Welsh Government believes fair funding can be delivered without full devolution, which is does not want. And the head of a passenger body told us he didn't care who got the money as long as they did a good job with it, adding more cash could make a huge difference.
