Latest news with #MatthewSmith
Spectator
5 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
More Brits worried about immigration than health
Another day, another poll. This time YouGov has found that almost six in ten Brits say that immigration is one of the most important issues facing the country – almost double those who rate health as their number one concern, and more than double those worried about crime. Crikey! Fears about immigration have climbed by four percentage points compared to a fortnight ago, to 56 per cent. Healthcare ranked almost equally with immigration in June last year, but since then border control has become more important to Brits. Meanwhile concern about crime has risen three points in the last few weeks – coinciding with Reform's 'Lawless Britain' campaign that has seen the party unveil a number of new recruits to create new policy and urge the government to 'protect our streets, not our tweets'. Today's polling coincides with another data dump by the organisation, which reveals that just under half of Brits support 'admitting no more new migrants and requiring large numbers of migrants who came to the UK in recent years to leave'. Mass deportation is an idea that has been championed by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe – with his stance on the issue driving a wedge between himself and his former colleagues. The survey also showed that almost half of respondents thought there were more illegal immigrants in the UK than legal, with this group more likely to be in favour of mass deportation. YouGov has called the results 'extraordinary', while researcher Matthew Smith noted: Almost half of Britons (47 per cent) think there are more migrants staying in the UK illegally rather than legally. Crucially, this view is held by 72% of those who want to see mass removals. However, these perceptions appear to be wide of the mark. Estimates of the population of illegal migrants living in the UK range from 120,000 to 1.3 million, with Reform UK's Zia Yusuf recently putting the figure at 1.2 million. Regardless of which figure from this range is chosen, it does not come close to the number of migrants living in the UK legally, with 2021/2022 census data putting the entire foreign-born population of the UK at 10.7 million. The figures put more pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to 'smash the gangs' as the Prime Minister's 'one in, one out' policy takes effect today. But much scepticism remains about exactly how effective the scheme will be – while Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has refused to say exactly how many migrants will be returned under the plan. It's hardly the best start…
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Almost Half Of Brits Are Getting An Essential Fact About UK Immigration Wrong
Almost half of Brits believe that most immigration to the UK is illegal rather than legal, according to a new poll. As researchers at YouGov found, there is a 'simple misconception' around the scale and nature of British immigration. Of the 8,055 UK adults approached for the poll, 47% said they believe there's more illegal immigration rather than legal – including 32% who said the illegal figure is 'much higher'. The trouble is the number of undocumented people who arrive into the UK via so-called illegal means, like crossing the English Channel in a small boat, is actually dwarfed by the number of arrive legally. According to the Home Office, there were 44,125 irregular arrivals in the year to March, 86% of whom arrived on small boats. That works out to be just 4% of the 948,000 overall number who immigrated to the UK during the same period. YouGov also found that among the respondents who support mass deportations, 93% were in favour of removing small boat migrants – but that number dropped to 44% when asked about migrants who come to the UK legally looking for work. That proportion declined further to just 26% of respondents when asked about their support for deporting foreign students. This suggests the confusion around immigration could be pivotal to addressing anti-immigration sentiment, especially as hostile protests have been springing up around English hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers this summer. However, YouGov's head of data journalist Matthew Smith said clearing up perceptions of UK immigration may not necessarily reduce the negativity spreading across the country at the moment. He said: 'While it is clear that legal migration dramatically outweighs illegal migration, that is not to say that if only the public could be made aware of this fact then immigration would disappear as an issue. 'After all, Britons tend to think that legal immigration has been too high as well, and the concerns that many people have extend beyond the economic terms in which immigration is typically justified. 'Anyone seeking to address the issue will need to engage with deeper anxieties about identity, integration, and the perceived erosion of shared national values.' Keir Starmer has unrolled a new pilot scheme with France whereby 'illegal' immigrants who come to the UK on small boats could be returned to the other side of the English Channel. The UK will need to accept one migrant through legal means in exchange, but the government has still hailed the deal as a 'groundbreaking' development in the ongoing bid to stop people-smuggling gangs. Despite Labour's promises to crack down on the people-smuggling gangs, 2025 has also become a record-breaking year for Channel crossings, with more than 25,436 arrivals so far this year – an increase of 51% compared to this point last year. Related... Yvette Cooper Delivers Brutal Commons Slapdown To Chris Philp Over The Tories' Immigration Failures 'A Horrific Moral Failure': Campaigner Slams Labour And Tories Over Illegal Immigration Keir Starmer's Immigration Plan Shows UK Is 'In A Very Dark Place', Says Albanian PM
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stifel Reduces PT on Conagra Brands (CAG) Stock
Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is one of the Best Mid Cap FMCG Stocks to Buy Now. Stifel analyst Matthew Smith reduced the price objective on the company's stock to $21 from $26, while keeping a 'Hold' rating, as reported by The Fly. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG)'s EPS miss compared to estimates was due to the lower-than-expected sales and margin performance, according to the firm's analyst. Notably, the company posted diluted EPS of $0.53 for Q4 2025, and adjusted EPS decreased 8.2% to $0.56. A worker assembling a meal in a food production facility. Furthermore, the contraction in gross margin was due to lower sales, inflation, and negative operating leverage. These factors more than offset the increased productivity savings, opines the analyst. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG)'s gross margin fell 228 bps to 25.4% in Q4 2025, and adjusted gross margin declined 184 bps to 25.8%. In FY 2026, Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) expects elevated inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty to persist. However, it is focused on proactively managing the business through investments in its high-potential frozen and snacks domains, prioritizing volume strength, and further enhancing the supply chain resiliency, while at the same time, maintaining disciplined cost management and emphasis on cash flow. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) opines that such actions can enable the company to deliver sustainable growth and stronger margins over time. Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG) operates as a consumer-packaged goods food company. While we acknowledge the potential of CAG as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 13 Cheap AI Stocks to Buy According to Analysts and 11 Unstoppable Growth Stocks to Invest in Now Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
19-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Order on International Criminal Court Likely Violates First Amendment, Judge Rules
An executive order by President Trump seeking to punish people who work with the International Criminal Court is most likely a violation of the First Amendment, a federal judge found on Friday. Judge Nancy Torresen of the Federal District Court in Maine shielded two U.S. human rights activists from any penalties for violating the directive, saying that by threatening to punish anyone who provides 'funds, goods or services' to I.C.C. officials under sanctions, the order restricts a swath of speech-based activity that goes beyond its stated aims. The ruling marked a striking, if tentative and limited, blow to Mr. Trump's efforts to penalize and isolate the world's highest criminal court. It has drawn his ire by issuing arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials and conducting preliminary investigations into U.S. personnel at secret C.I.A. sites overseas years ago. The court, in turn, has said Mr. Trump is trying to harm its 'independent and impartial judicial work.' The stated focus of Mr. Trump's executive order is what it characterizes as the court's 'baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel' and the potential arrest of 'current and former United States personnel.' But those objectives, the judge found, have little to do with the work performed by the two plaintiffs, Matthew Smith and Akila Radhakrishnan, who have assisted the court's Office of the Prosecutor with investigations in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Because of the executive order, lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union told the court, Mr. Smith and Ms. Radhakrishnan had suspended their work with the court. The United States is not part of the treaty that founded the court, which is based at The Hague. It prosecutes individuals for war crimes and atrocities. An older court at The Hague, the International Court of Justice, issues opinions on broader issues between nations, such as climate change. Judge Torresen, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, paused the enforcement of the order while she considers the case, but only for the two plaintiffs. When Mr. Smith and Ms. Radhakrishnan filed their lawsuit in April, they sought the sweeping relief known as a nationwide injunction that would have blocked the president's order across the country. Judge Torresen's decision appeared to reflect a June ruling by the Supreme Court that curtailed such injunctions. The Trump administration has used the executive order to impose sanctions on four I.C.C. judges; the court's embattled prosecutor, Karim Khan; and Francesca Albanese, a special rapporteur for the United Nations who has worked with the court in its investigation of Israel's war in Gaza. Last year, the court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as well as the country's former defense minister and three Hamas officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ms. Albanese was assisting the I.C.C. with 'campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty.' Ms. Albanese called the sanctions against her 'mafia techniques of intimidation' in a recent phone interview with The New York Times.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Philip Morris (PM) Gains on ZYN MRTP Review, Stifel Maintains Buy Rating
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) ranks among the . On June 13, Stifel analyst Matthew Smith maintained his Buy rating on Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), continuing his positive outlook. The update came in response to a combination of Philip Morris's strategic posture and regulatory developments. One such development comes in the form of the FDA beginning its review of Philip Morris's Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) applications for ZYN products. This procedure, which comes after the previous PMTA approval, would give Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) a competitive advantage in the tobacco industry by enabling it to offer ZYN with lower risk claims. Smith believes that ZYN has a good chance of being authorized under the MRTP, which is reinforced by the FDA's previous positive comments on similar products. Additionally, Philip Morris's growth profile remains robust when compared to its counterparts in the global consumer staples market, thanks to its shift to smoke-free products and smart pricing tactics. Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) is a global tobacco company that provides services to consumers in over 180 countries. With Marlboro as its signature product, the firm stands out among the titans of 'Big Tobacco.' While we acknowledge the potential of PM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. Read More: and Disclosure: None. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
