Latest news with #LABOUR
The Sun
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Labour slammed for masking true cost of handing Chagos Islands to Mauritius
LABOUR is under fire for masking the true cost of handing the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Taxpayers will spend £34.7million on a 99-year lease of the archipelago's military base, a freedom of information request reveals. 2 But yesterday Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government does 'not recognise' that figure. She told GB News: 'The Prime Minister has been forthright in saying the true cost of this is £3.4billion.' Defending the deal as vital to national security, she added: 'The US is on board with this agreement to make sure we can maintain the Diego Garcia base for national security.' But Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride slammed the government's assurances on the cost of leasing the base as 'totally and utterly unacceptable'. He said: 'They want to make the numbers look smaller. 'We don't think that's being straight with the British people.' The £34.7billion figure — obtained by the Government Actuary's Department — is the lease's total cost over 99 years. Financial experts estimate it is the equivalent to around £10billion in today's money, once the effects on inflation have been stripped out. But that's still nearly three times the figure given by Sir Keir Starmer. A Government spokesman said: 'The Diego Garcia military base is essential to the security of the UK and our key allies. Starmer signs deal with Mauritius to hand over Chagos Islands 'The average cost is £101million per year, and the net present value of payments is £3.4billion — less than 0.2 per cent of the annual defence budget. 'The costs compare favourably with other international military base agreements.'
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Labour councillor called far-right protesters ‘Nazi fascists' & told crowd ‘we need to cut their throats', court told
'SICK THREAT' Labour councillor called far-right protesters 'Nazi fascists' & told crowd 'we need to cut their throats', court told Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LABOUR councillor branded far-right protesters "Nazi fascists" and told a "tinderbox" crowd "we need to cut their throats", a court heard. Ricky Jones was filmed at the anti-racism demonstration in Walthamstow, East London, making a slashing gesture across his neck, jurors heard. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Ricky Jones branded far-right protesters 'Nazi fascists' Credit: dartfordlabour 3 He made the comments at an anti-racism march in Walthamstow Credit: AFP The 57-year-old had attended the protest in August last year following the murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, in Southport. He was told by the Labour Party to stay away from the march, which had been organised in response to a planned far-right demonstration, but turned up anyway, it was said. Snaresbrook Crown Court heard Jones was cheered by the "tinderbox" crowd as he shouted into a microphone: "We need to cut their throats and get rid of them". The Labour Councillor for Dartford, Kent, who has since been suspended, also branded the protesters "disgusting Nazi fascists" in his "rabble-rousing speech", it was said. Prosecutor Ben Holt said: "Last summer, three young girls were killed at a dance-themed party in Southport. "There was some hysteria… Some of that grief manifested itself in anger, and regrettably, violence." The horror brought out counter-protests, one of which Jones decided to go to, the prosecutor explained. Mr Holt continued: "He attended in the face of considered advice not to do so. "During that event, he made a speech, amplified through a public address system, to the crowd. "He called the other side disgusting Nazi fascists. He said that their throats needed to be slit. "He drew his finger along his throat as he said that. "This, in a setting where, we suggest, violence could readily have been anticipated. "We ask rhetorically, what did Mr Jones think was going to happen?" Jones later told police his speech was a response to seeing stickers planted on trains by far-right group National Front. He claimed they contained concealed razor blades and included the words: "National Front Rights for Whites". The councillor also apologised for the comments but said they were not meant to be "taken literally". Jurors heard following the video of his speech being shared, Jones received a message telling him he was "on BBC News". Mr Holt said he appeared "satisfied" and told the contact: "I served". Jurors were told he also co-authored a declaration on behalf of Labour, that read: "There is no excuse for what we've seen. No possible justification. "This is mindless criminal thuggery, fuelled and perpetrated by the far right spreading their divisive, destructive ideas on the streets and on social media." The court heard Labour had sent out an "instructive" email referring to the Southport rallies taking place across the UK at the time. It told its councillors to "follow the clear advice" issued by police, which urged anyone "not to take part in, attend, or encourage others to attend any sort of demonstration or counter demonstration". Mr Holt said Jones chose to "ignore" the advice, with the video showing him making a "conscious" decision to take to the stage and allegedly ask an aide to film his speech. He continued: "The prosecution's case is that this defendant has gone to a demonstration, protest, against some fairly clear and strong guidance. "It was, we say, not said in the heat of the moment. "In the circumstances in Hoe Street as they were, making this speech was capable of encouraging others to commit an offence. "It was capable of stoking the flames and encouraging others to violence." Jones, of Dartford, Kent, denies encouraging violent disorder. The trial continues.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
There's a really simple way to sort out our dysfunctional civil service, Keir – your latest gimmick is a waste of time
LABOUR is to make the civil service more 'working class' by offering internships only to those from 'lower socio-economic backgrounds'. Their eligibility will be judged on what job their parents did when they were 14. 4 4 Meaning that Sir Keir 'my father was a toolmaker' Starmer would make the cut. But his Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose parents were teachers and therefore classed as 'professionals', would not. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns. Look, I'm not against limiting the number of Tristams and Jemimas who find themselves interning at the Houses of Parliament because 'Daddy' knows some politician 'from his club'. And the thought of some hand-picked, 'working class' realists rolling their eyes in despair behind the lectern every time the Government announces its latest, daft initiative is admittedly an appealing one. But what does 'class' actually mean these days, and how is it judged? Take me, for example. Born in 1962, my mum brought me up alone, I went to state school, and for several years we lived extremely happily with my godparents in their council house. Mum worked as a stable girl, then became a secretary, and eventually trained as a teacher — a job she was doing when I was 14. Which, according to the Social Mobility Commission that advises the Government on such matters, is a 'professional and managerial' occupation along with chief executive, doctor, journalist, engineer and nurse. So, along with Ms Reeves, that rules me out too. PM vows to drastically increase the numbers of channel migrants sent back to France 'Intermediate' occupations include driving instructor, IT engineer, shopkeeper and hotel manager, while 'working class' jobs are those such as cleaner, waiter and bricklayer. It's all very prescriptive and, let's face it, old-fashioned. Aside from a few Hyacinth 'Bouquets' in the suburbs, does anyone really care about class any more? And isn't this seeming Labour obsession with it just inverted snobbery? Back in the day when I was in charge of a busy newspaper department, I always recruited the best person for the job, regardless of their background. Pipe dream I met some immensely stupid people who'd been to private school, and some immensely smart ones who hadn't. And vice versa. Their education, class, religious beliefs, ethnicity, sexual preferences, eating habits, whatever, were irrelevant, and so too was whatever Mummy or Daddy did for a living. I looked for punctuality, enthusiasm, honesty, quick-thinking and a willingness to work hard. And that's what the civil service should be looking for too. Meanwhile, it's curious to learn that, despite its keenness to attract kids from lower socio-economic backgrounds, Labour's internships are still only being offered to undergraduates studying for a degree. Which rules out those bright 'working-class' kids for whom university is but a pipe dream for fear of racking up huge student debt. Such hard work A FRIEND of mine who runs a small business frequently regales me with amusing stories about the entitled attitude of some of those applying for junior positions. 'I don't work on Fridays,' said one applying for a 'full-time' role, while another stressed she would need at least a two-hour lunch break every day to return home and check on her new puppy. 'Some of them act like they'd be doing me a favour by turning up at all for the job I'd be paying them to do,' she laughs. I thought of this when I read this week that a 45-year-old asset manager on £330k a year took his employers to a tribunal after feeling 'shocked' and 'angry' at how small his £10k annual bonus was despite being 'almost entirely absent from work' while suffering from long Covid. Apparently, he thought his bonus (on top of his salary) should have been around £100k. For. Doing. Virtually. Nothing. Thankfully, common sense prevailed and the judge ruled in his employer's favour. But honestly, some people. Kinnock tax on health a big turn-off LABOUR'S former leader Lord Kinnock has called for the Government to slap VAT on private healthcare to help fund the NHS. Hmmm. Except it probably wouldn't because, chances are, it would simply result in a significant number of people giving up private healthcare to rely on the already overstretched NHS instead. Much like Labour's VAT raid on private schools which has forced many families to pull their children out and, instead, send them to the nearest good – and therefore oversubscribed – state school. Following the closure of the private Bishop Challoner School in Bromley, South East London, last month, state alternatives in the county received around 100 enquiries in just 48 hours. So it remains to be seen whether Chancellor Rachel Reeves – pictured this week at a holiday camp in Kent – takes the advice of Lord Kinnock, who has also suggested the introduction of a 'wealth tax' that, without doubt, would result in even more high-net-worth individuals departing these shores. Little wonder that, when polls suggested (wrongly) back in 1992 that he might win the general election, The Sun ran the front page headline: 'If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights.' The public aren't stupid and Ms Reeves et al would be wise to remember that. JOB TO TACKLE CRIME 'IF I left my job, these would be the number one reason,' says a police officer. Is it lawless street thugs? The poor prosecution rates in courts? Or a lack of support from their superiors? Nope. It's too much support in the groin area. Namely the standard- issue cargo trousers that have been described by 69 per cent of officers as 'problematic'. 'They teach us all these good restraints and moves in public-safety training but I can't do half of them in these trousers,' says one officer. The study, by Lancaster University Law School, says officers have complained of crushed testicles, cuts, blisters and swelling from the tight, chafing fabric. Ouch. The Police Federation agrees, saying the restrictive uniforms are stopping officers from keeping their communities safe. In other words, it's tough to tackle crooks when your tackle's crooked. CHEERS TO OLD TIMERS AFTER emerging damp and starving from the I'm A Celebrity jungle last year, I was keen to indulge in a late night out. But post-8pm, the restaurants of Brisbane's Surfers Paradise were virtually deserted. Like Americans, they eat early. 'You Brits are party animals,' one muscle-bound waiter told me disapprovingly when I ordered an Aperol Spritz at, er, 8.30pm. Now it seems that restaurants in the UK are adapting to accommodate a growing trend for 6pm dining here too. Richard Piper, of Alcohol Change UK, says: 'Younger diners especially are making choices that reflect physical and mental well-being but also financial health. 'Earlier dining helps avoid expensive late-night drinking. People want to socialise without the hangover.' Great idea. So last week, a friend and I arranged to meet for dinner at 6pm. Trouble is, we were still there at 9.30pm, having scoffed and quaffed far more than if we'd stuck to our usual 8pm meeting time. Clearly, we're not cut out for this modern world. LIFE IN CHECK THE new grandmaster (shouldn't that be grandmistress?) of the Women's Chess World Cup is 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh from India. Former chess coach RB Ramesh says: 'She was a confident girl from a very young age. 'She didn't have that negative side to her, the one that tends to create self-doubt. That inner chatter that wrecks things, fortunately, was missing in her.' Maybe. Or perhaps, given that much of her spare time is spent practising chess moves, she isn't constantly on social media being fed impossible depictions of 'perfection' or hate-filled judgments from people who don't even know her.
The Sun
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Labour accused of paving way for China to extradite political opponents from UK amid £100k bounty scandal
LABOUR has been accused of plotting to restore an extradition deal which could let China deport its political opponents from the UK. Bounties of £100,000 are being offered to those who deliver Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners to the Chinese Embassy in London. 3 And Tories say proposed tweaks to the 2003 Extradition Act could see Chinese dissidents legally hauled back into the grip of the regime. Alicia Kearns, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, who raised the alarm, said in a letter: 'Why has the Government introduced cooperation with Hong Kong, and by extension, the Chinese Communist Party authorities? 'Has freedom and the rule of law been returned to Hong Kong - or have you decided these issues are no longer saleable alongside the 'reset' in relations between the UK and China? 'You will be aware of the repression faced by Hong Kong democracy activists living in the UK, including the recent campaign of bounties. 'What guarantees can you give that no Hong Konger, CCP critic or anyone targeted by the CCP will be extradited under the new arrangement? 'We would be grateful for some clarity on why extraditions are being relaunched.' Iain Duncan Smith said: 'This would be an absolutely dreadful kowtow to the Chinese. 'I don't know how much more this government can do to show what an absolutely pathetic supplicant it has become. 'They do not seem to understand that China is the single biggest threat to freedom in the world today. 'They are, yet again, bending the knee to a regime hell bent on destroying democracy.' Labour's Security Minister Dan Jarvis denied the move. China beams LASER at German military plane 'endangering personnel' on mission in WW3 flashpoint Red Sea 3
The Journal
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Jeremy Corbyn is signing people up for his new (as yet unnamed) political party
FORMER LABOUR LEADER Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed that he has launched a new political party he has co-founded with Zarah Sultana. However, there was confusion over what the new party is actually called. It appeared that the new party was called 'Your Party', however Sultana has since said on X that this is not the case. 'It's not called Your Party!,' said Sultana in response to a post on X stating that the party was named Your Party. The Journal / YouTube A form on the new party's website invites people to sign up for updates on the 'new party that develops from' the Your Party initiative. Sultana has since said that party members will decide upon the name and posted to X: 'We're doing things differently with democracy and inclusivity at the core'. 'From the launch to the party, conference, structures and yes – even the name! – we're building it together.' Unlike Reform, we're doing things differently with democracy & inclusivity at the core. From the launch to the party, conference, structures & yes - even the name! - we're building it together. It might feel unfamiliar to you. It's called democracy. 🔗 — Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) July 24, 2025 'New Party' Earlier this month, former Labour MP Sultana announced that she was resigning from the party and that she would 'co-lead the founding of a new party' with the ex-Labour leader. In a statement posted on X, Sultana said that the project would also involve 'other independent MPs, campaigners and activists across the country'. Today, after 14 years, I'm resigning from the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn and I will co-lead the founding of a new party, with other Independent MPs, campaigners and activists across the country. Join us. The time is now. Sign up here to stay updated: — Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) July 3, 2025 However, there had been reports that Corbyn wasn't fully briefed on Sultana's announcement and in a statement the day after, Corbyn said 'discussions are ongoing' around the founding of a new party. Advertisement Real change is coming. — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) July 4, 2025 In a post this afternoon on X, Corbyn shared a joint statement with Sultana that said it is 'time for a new kind of political party'. Corbyn has called on supporters to sign up ahead of an inaugural conference at some point in the future. 'At this conference, you will decide the party's direction, the model of leadership and the policies that are needed to transform society,' said the statement shared by Corbyn. The statement added that the 'system is rigged' and noted that 4.5 million children live in relative poverty in the UK. 'We cannot accept these injustices – and neither should you,' said the statement. The new party promises to 'fix the crises in our society with a mass redistribution of wealth and power' by 'taxing the very richest in our society'. The statement also remarks that 'millions of people are horrified by the UK Government's complicity in crimes against humanity'. 'This is why we will keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel, and for the only path to peace: a free and independent Palestine.' It's time for a new kind of political party - one that belongs to you. Sign up at . — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) July 24, 2025 Corbyn led Labour from 2015 to April 2020, stepping down after the party's loss at the 2019 general election. He was suspended from Labour in 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission's findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge, and said antisemitism had been 'dramatically overstated for political reasons'. Sultana meanwhile has attacked the UK Government's policies on welfare and Gaza. She was one of seven MPs who had the Labour whip suspended last summer when they supported an amendment to the King's Speech which related to the two-child benefit cap. Four of the seven had the whip restored earlier this year but Sultana was not among them. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
