Latest news with #KarlWilliams
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Labour is normalising our new age of mass migration
The Government is bound to be pleased with the new net migration statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Numbers have fallen by around 40 per cent, to 431,000 last year. After the media firestorm over his 'island of strangers' speech, Keir Starmer might well feel that he's fulfilled his promise to 'finally take back control' of the borders. That would be premature, however. Net migration at that level is still a six-figure increase on the levels before the 2016 Brexit referendum, which was viewed as intolerable then. At this rate, Britain is still receiving the equivalent of the population of Bristol every year and would have added an extra 2 million people by 2029. The gross, as opposed to net, figure shows that nearly 1 million immigrants have arrived in the last recorded year. If the Prime Minister really thinks that mass immigration caused 'incalculable' damage to Britain, then he must think that it is still unacceptably high. The population of foreign-born people in Britain is at a record high of 11.4 million, with Karl Williams of the Centre For Policy Studies pointing out that a staggering 1 in 25 of people in Britain arrived here in the last four years. The number of immigrants granted indefinite leave to remain has increased, meaning that the share of the population with foreign origins will grow. That is a historically unprecedented demographic shift, which is already reshaping the country culturally. With immigration flows that high, integration will also prove difficult, if not impossible. In addition, with the number of new houses built only enough for around half of the new arrivals, the cost of housing will continue to increase. In truth, this reduction is largely a result of restrictions brought in by Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick in the dying days of the last Conservative government. Although there have been more restrictions floated by the current Labour Government in their Immigration White Paper, these have yet to be enacted, and probably won't be for months to come. Plans for a Youth Mobility Visa with the EU, especially if it allows dependents, could easily see numbers begin to creep back up. The Prime Minister therefore needs to bring in greater restrictions soon. He can take heart that these dramatic reductions were the result of sensible restrictions on some dependents and an increase in the skilled visa salary requirement. With the new ONS figures showing that 81,000 came here on work visas but were outnumbered by their 132,000 dependents, as well as large numbers coming on family visas or student visas, further restrictions could lower numbers without affecting how many workers despite the predictions of critics, the large drop in net migration hasn't produced the economic problems they foretold. Greater restrictions will also be necessary because the net migration figures for prior years are often subsequently revised upwards. In 2023 net migration turned out to be 22 per cent higher and in 2022 it was 44 per cent higher than initially calculated. If that proves to be the case again, then the Prime Minister's promise to reduce immigration 'significantly' will end up looking very hollow. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The 'significant' recycling change that's coming for all of our plastic
Most British people dutifully separate their waste and fill their bins correctly each week, but some might be surprised that not all their plastic is recycled. Plastic films, for example, used to wrap many foodstuffs, are not recycled in most areas. But this is changing, with some councils already expanding the range of plastics they can recycle. Defra says the recycling rate across the UK was 52.5% in 2023. Industry group the British Plastics Federation believes that the UK can move towards a 70% recycling rate by 2035. Some of us imagine that anything plastic can be safely put in the recycling bin, but that's not the case, Professor Karl Williams, director for waste management at the University of Central Lancashire, explains. Speaking to Yahoo News, Prof Williams said: "There are three main types of plastic that we use every day, which can be easily recycled at home. "These include PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, which is most commonly found in plastic drinks bottles; HDPE, or high-density polyethylene, which is typically used for milk containers; and LDPE, or low-density polyethylene, which is used for flexible packaging such as food bags.' Plastics such as polystyrene and low-density polyethylene – which are used in bags and films – cannot be collected from home recycling collections. Such waste often ends up being burned in waste-to-energy incinerators. In some areas, these plastics can be collected at supermarkets or via other special collections. However, recycling systems are not uniform across the UK, meaning that it can be hard for households to understand which plastics can and cannot be recycled. "One of the major challenges we face is that recycling systems vary between regions," says Prof Williams. "What can be recycled in one area may not be accepted in another, depending on the local collection and processing facilities. "This is why packaging often carries the message 'recyclable where facilities exist', reflecting the inconsistent availability of recycling options across the country.' The government's Simpler Recycling scheme – in force for businesses from 2025 and households from 2026 – aims to ensure there is no 'postcode lottery' around plastic recycling so that all areas have the same rules around what is recycled. Under Simpler Recycling, all councils must collect the same waste streams, one of which is dry recycling, including plastic. By March 2027, plastic films will be able to be recycled in all areas. Prof Williams says that this will mean councils will be able to 'upgrade' their recycling to include plastics such as polystyrene, which are currently not recycled. He said: "A significant change being introduced is the move towards a more consistent recycling system, so that households across the UK can recycle the same materials regardless of where they live. This national consistency supports the development of recycling infrastructure and helps create stable markets for recyclable materials. "By ensuring a uniform collection system, it becomes more feasible to collect and process harder-to-recycle plastics, such as polystyrene. It is essential that we do not continue to produce plastic products unless there is a clear, accessible route for their recycling that is available to everyone." Plastic put in recycling bins across the UK is relatively likely to travel abroad to be recycled. Turkey remained the top destination for UK exports of plastic last year, according to Basel Action Network, a European NGO which records plastic waste exports. British exports of plastic waste increased to 598 million kilos a year in 2024, with exports to Turkey increasing to 151 million kg per year from 141 million last year. The next most popular destinations for UK plastic waste were the Netherlands, Poland and Vietnam.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The facts are in: mass immigration has led to a rise in crime
For years we have had an institutional cover-up of the costs of immigration. The amount of serious and violent crime we have imported from low-skilled migration has been swept under the carpet. From what I can only deduce is out of misplaced fear of harming social cohesion if the truth were to emerge, the public have had the wool pulled over their eyes. Officials have hidden behind the excuse of 'operational challenges' and 'disproportionate cost'. But the dam is now breaking. The Home Office will publish crime data by nationality 'by the end of the year'. It should happen sooner, and it should be more thorough – breaking down visa and asylum status too. But it is a welcome step in the right direction. This should have been put into the public domain long ago – as the US and Denmark have done. Over a year ago, I wrote a report with Neil O'Brien and Karl Williams setting out all the social and economic data we needed. I even tabled an amendment, backed by more than 40 colleagues, to the Crime and Policing Bill to mandate the publication of the volume and type of migrant crime. Plenty of other campaigners and parliamentarians have raised this issue, only to be met with a 'computer says no' response. The Government has been forced, through freedom of information requests, to release indicative data. The preliminary findings are extremely concerning. For instance, Algerians appear 18 times more likely to be convicted of theft as British citizens. Congolese nationals appear to be 12 times more likely, and Somalians eight times more likely, to be convicted of a violent crime than UK citizens. The initial data on sexual offences – which needs verifying further – is even more alarming. The data appears to show that Afghans and Eritreans are more than 20 times more likely to be convicted of sexual offences than British citizens. Overall, foreign nationals were 71 per cent more likely than Britons to be convicted for sex crimes. It makes me sick to my core to think we are importing people into this country who are causing such terrible harm. We, rightly, talk a lot about protecting women and girls in Parliament. One of the biggest things the Government could do to protect them would be to reduce visas radically and to dramatically increase background checks for nationals from those countries – as well as deporting their failed asylum seekers. And do it now. The full, verified Home Office data will give us the unvarnished truth: some nationalities are significantly more likely to commit crime than others. As Kemi Badenoch has said, it shouldn't be controversial to state that not all cultures are equal. Freedom of Information requests thus far suggest 66 nationalities have a higher conviction rate per 10,000 than Britons. If we are to build an immigration system that protects the interests of the British public, we need to know which nationalities are higher and which are lower. The data on migrant crime is not an academic exercise. It is a means to an end. Its purpose is to inform an immigration system that puts the safety of British people first. Coming to this country is a privilege, never a right. It should not be afforded to anyone likely to endanger our citizens. I don't care if that ruffles Left-wing feathers. The public – and policymakers – need the truth. It will be hard for some to read. But I'll take a hard truth over a gentle lie every single time. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The facts are in: mass immigration has led to a rise in crime
For years we have had an institutional cover-up of the costs of immigration. The amount of serious and violent crime we have imported from low-skilled migration has been swept under the carpet. From what I can only deduce is out of misplaced fear of harming social cohesion if the truth were to emerge, the public have had the wool pulled over their eyes. Officials have hidden behind the excuse of 'operational challenges' and 'disproportionate cost'. But the dam is now breaking. The Home Office will publish crime data by nationality 'by the end of the year'. It should happen sooner, and it should be more thorough – breaking down visa and asylum status too. But it is a welcome step in the right direction. This should have been put into the public domain long ago – as the US and Denmark have done. Over a year ago, I wrote a report with Neil O'Brien and Karl Williams setting out all the social and economic data we needed. I even tabled an amendment, backed by more than 40 colleagues, to the Crime and Policing Bill to mandate the publication of the volume and type of migrant crime. Plenty of other campaigners and parliamentarians have raised this issue, only to be met with a 'computer says no' response. The Government has been forced, through freedom of information requests, to release indicative data. The preliminary findings are extremely concerning. For instance, Algerians appear 18 times more likely to be convicted of theft as British citizens. Congolese nationals appear to be 12 times more likely, and Somalians eight times more likely, to be convicted of a violent crime than UK citizens. The initial data on sexual offences – which needs verifying further – is even more alarming. The data appears to show that Afghans and Eritreans are more than 20 times more likely to be convicted of sexual offences than British citizens. Overall, foreign nationals were 71 per cent more likely than Britons to be convicted for sex crimes. It makes me sick to my core to think we are importing people into this country who are causing such terrible harm. We, rightly, talk a lot about protecting women and girls in Parliament. One of the biggest things the Government could do to protect them would be to reduce visas radically and to dramatically increase background checks for nationals from those countries – as well as deporting their failed asylum seekers. And do it now. The full, verified Home Office data will give us the unvarnished truth: some nationalities are significantly more likely to commit crime than others. As Kemi Badenoch has said, it shouldn't be controversial to state that not all cultures are equal. Freedom of Information requests thus far suggest 66 nationalities have a higher conviction rate per 10,000 than Britons. If we are to build an immigration system that protects the interests of the British public, we need to know which nationalities are higher and which are lower. The data on migrant crime is not an academic exercise. It is a means to an end. Its purpose is to inform an immigration system that puts the safety of British people first. Coming to this country is a privilege, never a right. It should not be afforded to anyone likely to endanger our citizens. I don't care if that ruffles Left-wing feathers. The public – and policymakers – need the truth. It will be hard for some to read. But I'll take a hard truth over a gentle lie every single time.
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Oakland Coliseum DMV to be closed for months after metal thieves cause damage
The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced that the Oakland Coliseum office may be closed for several months, due to damage caused by metal thieves. According to a statement obtained by CBS News Bay Area, workers who arrived at the office Monday noticed a water pipe in the ceiling was leaking, which flooded the office. An investigation revealed wiring was stolen, which rendered the office's HVAC system and light poles in the parking lot inoperable, along with other vandalism. The DMV said the incident was reported to law enforcement. "While the DMV anticipates the Oakland Coliseum office will be closed for four to five months, the department will work as quickly as possible to restore service at that location," the agency said Tuesday. Karl Williams was one of several people who showed up to the Oakland Coliseum DMV on Monday, only to discover the office was closed, with a chain link fence surrounding the facility. "My car is grounded. Can't go anywhere until I pay this $14 fee, and I come here to pay it, and DMV is closed," he told CBS News Bay Area. The agency said customers with existing drive tests have been redirected to the Oakland Claremont office at 5300 Claremont Avenue. Meanwhile, customers with other DMV business were directed to the Oakland Claremont office and the Hayward office at 150 Jackson Street. Employees have been directed the above offices, along with offices in Pleasanton in San Francisco until the issues are addressed, the DMV said. The closure comes as DMV offices throughout the Bay Area are busier than usual as Californians rush to apply for a Real ID-compliant card ahead of next month's deadline .
