John Major: It's time our punishments moved beyond prison
However, notwithstanding these measures, the Ministry of Justice revealed last week that, by November, it is expected there will be no more space for adult male offenders. We cannot go on like this.
This state of affairs has been caused by a prison population that has grown beyond any expectation over recent decades, and that growth is forecast to continue.
Early in my political career, I was a parliamentary
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Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment British drug runner brags 'there's zero f*****g risk' in cocaine smuggling... days after his associates crashed boat into beach while trying to outrun Border Force
This is the astonishing moment a British drug runner bragged there was 'zero f*****g risk' as he planned further smuggling missions despite an £18m cocaine drop-off attempt being thwarted by the Border Force. Alex Fowlie, 35, helped engineer a plan to bring the vast quantity of drugs from South America on a cargo vessel across the Atlantic before dumping them in water tight bales into the English Channel and retrieving them with the aid of trackers. But the plot did not go to plan with the drug laden inflatable boat spotted by Border Force officers, leading to three of the seven gang members being chased for 28 miles out at sea and arrested. The trio were seen throwing the bales of cocaine into the sea before they stopped at Gwynver Beach near Sennen, Cornwall, last September. Four of the gang members were jailed on Thursday for a total of more than 80 years, with Fowlie, who purchased the boat used, to be sentenced at a later date along with the two remaining associates. Audio has now emerged of Fowlie boasting about how likely future smuggling missions were to succeed just three days after the dramatic failure of the cocaine drop-off. He said: 'We can have a discussion but we're good to get a team ready. Basically we just need the fishermen and one of us go out with him and they send one of their lads down to come out and keep an eye on things, in case anything happens. 'So all we need is a fisherman with a boat, if we can get two that's great.' In a separate voice message, Fowlie can be heard saying: 'And also there's zero f*****g risk because you keep an eye out, you've got your radars, if you see anything coming towards you just drop it back in. 'It's got its GPS and we come out with the RIBs (rigid inflatable boats), as soon as it's ashore, they load it up and take it away.' Such was Fowlie's confidence in the original cocaine smuggling plan, he even enjoyed a surfing holiday with his partner in nearby Newquay while the drop-off was taking place. Pictures posted to his Facebook show him posing with a surfboard on the north Cornwall beach, wearing a wetsuit and beaming widely. He was later arrested in December 2024, three months after the cocky voice message. National Crime Agency officers pored over CCTV footage from the harbour which showed 'suspicious-looking' meeting between gang member Peter Williams and others, inspecting boats. Scott Johnston, 39, Williams, 43, and Spanish speaking Edwin Tabora Baca, 33, had been spotted off the coast by a Border Force vessel and were arrested on the beach after a high speed chase around the coast of Cornwall as they tried to run from the scene. Truro Crown Court heard the conspirators had been due to collect 20 bales of cocaine from the sea after being dropped there by a cargo ship. The bales were fitted with GPS tracking devices attached to Apple air tags so that they could be recovered from the sea by the smaller vessel and transported to mainland Cornwall to be offloaded and transported elsewhere in the country. But despite the technology the three men on the boat only managed to find eleven bales but dumped them during the chase. Six large containers containing around 230kg of 'high-purity cocaine' were later recovered from the ocean by Border Force officers and the men were arrested. The other conspirators were arrested at later times after National Crime Agency investigators trawled through CCTV footage, phone call data and phone messages. Fowlie, of Chichester; Bobbie Pearce, 29, of Brentwood, Essex; Michael May, 47, also of Kelveden Hatch, Essex; and Terry Willis, 44, of Chelmsford, Essex, helped plan and organise the cocaine smuggling operation and pick up. May and Jonhston, of Havant, Hants, had denied the charge but were convicted after a trial at Truro Crown Court in June. The other men admitted conspiracy to import Class A drugs. Willis also admitted money laundering and possessing a revolver and live ammo which were found in a rucksack in his bedroom cupboard. Tabora Baca - who claimed to be a tourist who had accepted a boat invitation from two strangers to go fishing - was the Spanish speaking link between the higher figures in the operation and had flown into the country on several occasions. But messages on his phone discussed the group's plans and shared a photo of the cocaine on the vessel. Johnston played a significant role as he piloted the RHIB and helped dump the cocaine during the pursuit. The other three men involved in the conspiracy - Pearce, Fowlie and Williams - will be sentenced later. Sentencing four of the men, Judge Jame Adkin said: 'This was an international conspiracy to smuggle a large quantity of cocaine into the UK via a smuggling operation into the South West.' The judge said two organised crime groups were involved - one in the South West involving the boat and retrieval of the drugs from the sea - and the other in Essex where the cocaine would have been taken to be cut, divided and sold on to street dealers. Tabora Baca was jailed for 17 years and seven months and will be deported, Johnston was jailed for 24 years, Willis for 21 years and 8 months which included five years for the firearm offence, and May was jailed for 19 years.
South Wales Guardian
9 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
No 10 declines to say if Palestine to be recognised with Hamas in power
Number 10 also refused to be drawn on whether the release of all Israeli hostages was a condition for recognition, but insisted they must be freed 'unconditionally and immediately'. Concerns have been raised over the UK's plans to recognise a Palestinian state after Hamas member Ghazi Hamad appeared to claim the 'fruits' of October 7 had caused the world to 'open its eyes to the Palestinian issue'. Asked on Monday whether formalising the move without a ceasefire could embolden Hamas to hold onto Israeli captives, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said the Government would assess the situation in September. 'The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear that, on October 7, Hamas perpetrated the worst massacre in Israel's history,' he said. 'Every day since then that horror has continued… as the Foreign Secretary said over the weekend, Hamas are rightly pariahs who can have no role in Gaza's future.' Asked whether a Palestinian state could be recognised while Hamas are still holding hostages, the spokesman said that 'we'll make an assessment ahead of the UN General Assembly on how far the parties have met the steps that we've set out'. 'We've been very clear that Hamas can have no role in the future governments of Gaza… We've also been clear that they must disarm, must release all the hostages. On whether the step could be taken while Hamas remain in power, the official said the Government was clear that 'Hamas are not the Palestinian people'. 'It is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to have recognition along the lines and the steps that we've previously set out,' he said. 'We've also been very clear it cannot be in the hands of Hamas, a terrorist group, to have a veto over recognition of Palestine.' Videos released by militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad last week appeared to show Israeli hostages in a visibly fragile state. Number 10 condemned the images as 'completely abhorrent'. Meanwhile, Mr Hamad reportedly told the Al Jazeera news outlet: 'The initiative by several countries to recognise a Palestinian state is one of the fruits of October 7.' About 1,200 people were killed by Hamas militants in the 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war and another 251 were abducted. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but its figures are seen by the UN and other independent experts as the most reliable count of casualties. The UK and Jordan have been working together to air drop aid amid warnings of widespread malnourishment in Gaza. It comes as Britain seeks to put pressure on Israel to change course with a plan to recognise a Palestinian state in September ahead of the UN General Assembly. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK would only refrain from recognising Palestine if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months.
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘He's a great negotiator and diplomat': Starmer praised as UK outshines EU in Trump trade talks
As Donald Trump signed a new trade deal with the EU, many Independent readers were less focused on Brussels – and more surprised by how well the UK had done in comparison. With Keir Starmer securing lower tariffs and a visibly warmer reception from the US president, some asked: how did Britain get a better deal than the EU? Commenters were quick to praise Starmer's calm, measured style. One reader described him as a 'great negotiator and diplomat' with a 'forensic' grasp of detail, while another said Trump 'genuinely likes him' and respects that he 'stands up for himself' rather than fawning. In contrast, Europe's performance was seen as lacklustre, with the bloc 'unable to mount an effective response'. The EU-US deal itself drew criticism for being weak and symbolic, accused of rewarding Trump's coercive tactics and reframing tariffs as legitimate economic tools. Several readers lamented that the UK's apparent success would be used to claim a 'Brexit benefit' – while others were content to see the EU embarrassed. Here's what you had to say: A great negotiator and diplomat There's a lot of criticism of Starmer, and some is justified. While he might not be the greatest leader Labour we have had, there's no doubt he's a great negotiator and diplomat. What also helps him is that he has a strong sense of fairness, decency, and dignity. Then there's his obvious legal background, which you see in his forensic thoroughness when debating issues. Can you imagine Kemi Badenoch and that useless lot negotiating with Trump... he'd have a field day. DHC How do you feel about the UK's trade deal compared to Europe's? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation below. Trump is half Scottish Trump is half Scottish and he seems to have a little more respect for his mother's native country. We also don't manufacture anything, and we have long given up the future capacity to be a producing nation. We are customers; Europe, on the other hand, is a competitor. 227detius A weak EU capitulating to Trump The deal has been widely criticised on the European side, viewed by some as a weak EU capitulating to Trump's demands, unable to mount an effective response. While that perception is difficult to counter, the reality is much more complex and nuanced. It's worth noting that the deal isn't a fully fleshed-out trade agreement but, for the time being, one of the many symbolic political deals Trump has announced in recent months. Yet it's not meaningless. It pauses what could have escalated into a full-scale transatlantic trade war and defuses a major source of volatility and anxiety. That said, the real challenge lies ahead – hammering out the details. Without legally binding documents, the door remains open to misinterpretation. We've seen this play out recently with the US-Japan agreement, hastily concluded a few days ago, and already sparking differing interpretations. The same could easily happen with the EU-US deal. The deal is being widely perceived as a big political win for Trump and a defeat for the EU, negatively affecting its image both domestically and worldwide. Unfortunately, this interpretation ultimately praises and legitimises an approach based on aggression and coercion, rewarding tactics that undermine trust and cooperation. Sadly, tariffs – long discredited as a blunt and damaging economic tool – are now being recast as effective policy instruments, which the EU should also wield. It's astonishing how, in only a few months, Trump has managed to frame such a confrontational strategy and unsound economic policies as a success – even with Europe. It's simply self-defeating. But whatever the "final outcome", the misery of this GileadUS administration will continue to affect the lives of billions of people! LeeisBlue I ignore all the Faragist, Corbynite vitriol Starmer really has done well in his dealings not only with Trump but also the EU and his Gaza stance. Additionally, his policies are really changing and improving our lives – e.g. the NHS is performing much better (my wife has benefitted from this). Frankly, I ignore all the Faragist, Corbynite vitriolic attacks on Starmer and co and research for myself what's ACTUALLY happening. All this Reform/Farage/Corbyn propaganda is a distraction, largely irrelevant. voxtrot UK sacrificed bioethanol sector The UK's largest trade partner, by far, in goods is the EU. Don't think EU's higher tariffs from the USA have no effect on the UK. The UK also sacrificed the bioethanol sector, and allowed US beef into the UK, to the detriment of home agriculture, to get those reduced tariffs. I know there is some desperation in some quarters to try and claim some form of #BrexitBenefit, and hope the utter disaster and failure that it is gets forgotten. wolfie Nothing to do with Starmer It's got nothing to do with Starmer. The UK got a better deal with the US than the EU despite Starmer, not because of him. The UK is an independent, sovereign nation again and no longer anchored to the failing, anti-democratic EU political union thanks to Brexit, and we're one of the US's closest allies. Our bond with the US will grow even stronger once the current shambles of a Labour government – that appears to be doing its best to suppress free speech – is booted out at the next election. Kingswood Diversifying the EU's trading partners Yes, but every trading country/bloc has the opportunity of improving their prospects by diversifying their trading portfolio. Perhaps this is what Ms von der Leyen had in mind when making a deal with Trump – i.e. to force the EU to diversify its trading partners. In the longer term, that might be the best solution. Hungubwe Trump swallowed the carrot of a state visit All to do with the vanity of Trump. The state visit was the ultimate carrot that Starmer dangled, and Trump swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. He likes the sense of self-importance which this state visit will bestow on him, and all the pomp and ceremony. Beyond this, it shows that as long as you pander to him, he's happy to tolerate most things. Charles's views on the climate and compassion for migrants would normally have him called a radical lefty by Trump, and likewise, Starmer would also get short shrift, but because they are praising Trump, he's lapping it up – for now. The only constant has been the unapologetic support for Netanyahu, and ultimately it will come to a head when the ethnic cleansing plan is put in place. At that point, the world will have to decide to confront Trump directly or capitulate under fear of tariffs, leaving NATO, etc. I fear the capitulation. Truthonly With Trump you always follow the money The UK has a trade surplus with the USA of about £2 billion. The EU's trade surplus is about £200 billion. That's the difference – it's nothing to do with love of the UK or a Scottish mother or the tactics of the UK government. With Trump, you always follow the money. He does hate the EU's society because it is so much better than the US, so he feels compelled to drag it down to his level. He also knows he can play the UK like a banjo, whereas he fears the EU. We all know he will change his mind at any minute. AnonyMousse Starmer has done well on international issues Starmer has done well on international issues. The problem is that his focus on those things has left his inexperienced underlings to preside over domestic affairs. We have to remind ourselves who they replaced though. Compared to 14 years of Tory corruption and chaos, they are paragons of efficiency. Inkling
