Latest news with #Tory-run
The National
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Tech expert ‘called paedo' in Home Office meeting on Online Safety Act
The legislation, which came into force on July 25, mandates that websites verify users' age – often using facial recognition or photo ID – before granting access to adult content such as pornography, violence, or material on self-harm and eating disorders. Heather Burns, a tech policy specialist and author of Understanding Privacy, told The National the UK Government and Ofcom had been on a 'full-scale media blitz … really hammering down on the lines that this is about children and it's about pornography'. However, she said: 'It's not. It applies to any service provider anywhere in the world whose services could theoretically be accessed in Britain. It applies to a bare minimum of, the last figure I saw was 60,000 companies. 'What we're seeing over the past week is six years of narratives collapsing into reality in real time.' Burns warned of threats to journalism and freedom of information, noting that sites like Reddit have begun age-checking users accessing 'things like forums about war crimes in Gaza and Ukraine'. 'This is escalating quickly,' she added. 'We're one week in and platforms are censoring news content – because they have to. 'I think we're going to see more journalistic content blocked or age restricted before we get a resolution here, and that's scary.' READ MORE: Keir Starmer defends Online Safety Act as 'child protection' The issue has seen Wikipedia launch a court case against the UK Government because, Burns explained, 'they've been thrown into Category One compliance requirements, which is full-fat, full-on, on the grounds that Wikipedia has articles about self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders'. 'If young people can't find straightforward, factual, curated information on an encyclopaedia, where are they going to go? They're going to go to the really nasty places you wouldn't want any child looking at.' She added: 'History tells us that it's never a good idea when governments start demanding censorship of encyclopaedias.' The tech expert said she had spent the last six years of her career focusing on the OSA, but that she had been admonished for raising concerns during a meeting with the-then Tory-run UK government. 'I was actually in a meeting with the Home Office [in 2020] where I was called a paedo for trying to point out these issues to them,' Burns said. READ MORE: 'Feeling was mutual, Donnie': Nicola Sturgeon responds to Donald Trump 'You go back to the office and talk about it and everyone gives you a round of applause and says, 'You're in the club now. You're not up in the club until you've been called a paedo'.' Labour, which has taken over defending the Tory-introduced act, has used similar rhetoric against Nigel Farage by raising the spectre of Jimmy Savile after his Reform UK called for the legislation to be repealed. A UK Parliament petition calling for the same has passed 430,000 signatures, but Burns said the 'ship has sailed' – and questioned Reform's motivations. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage opposes the Online Safety Act (Image: James Manning/PA) 'These free speech provocateurs like Farage really aren't interested in the human rights framework that safeguards free expression. They just want to stir shit up.' She also warned the act may offer a blueprint to far-right movements in the US 'who want to ban information about contraception and human reproduction as sexually explicit material'. Burns, now completing a Masters at the University of Strathclyde focused on US internet law, said: 'There are Americans who are looking at this OSA and going, 'Jackpot. This is showing us how to take any content we don't like and call it sexually explicit or unfit for children'. 'What if you're maybe 15 and thinking, am I gay? Can you ask that anymore? No, you can't, cause that's explicit. 'I really do worry about the global implications.' Having been involved with the act since 2019, Burns described its drafting as 'classic rent seeking – a policy term meaning when the lobbyists basically get to draft a law in their own interests'. 'The OSA has basically been legislated in this way in order to create a business model for age verification providers,' she added. 'People don't understand that. 'The other thing they don't understand – although they may be starting to figure this out – is that if you're age verifying children, you're age verifying everyone. All of us are going to have to start giving our identification to any one of these providers, some of whom don't have great cybersecurity practices.' She cited the ongoing Tea App scandal, where images, IDs, and messages of thousands of women were leaked, despite promises that the data had been deleted. 'There's now a layer in between [you and the website you're looking at] provided by a third party, and we're just supposed to trust them,' Burns said. Ways around the rules: VPNs and fake IDs Instead of uploading ID, many UK users are circumventing the rules via virtual private networks, or VPNs – tools that allow them to appear to be browsing from countries with looser rules. Burns said that if Labour were to consider banning VPNs, 'people are going to start talking about the UK in terms of places like China and Russia'. However, she thinks such a move is unlikely. 'It's a safety matter,' Burns said. 'You know who is a huge fan of VPNs? The MoD. 'They want people in Ukraine to be able to access information … They want people in Russia to be able to access information not filtered by Putin. 'So if you're talking about [banning] VPNs to protect children, you're actually making everybody exponentially unsafe.' Fraser Mitchell, the chief product officer at SmartSearch, warned that children may instead turn to fake IDs, posing broader risks. 'It's vital to remember that the threat from fake IDs extends far beyond simply viewing websites,' he said. 'These sophisticated deceptions are integral tools … from identity theft and major financial fraud to money laundering, human trafficking, and even funding terrorism.' What can be done about the Online Safety Act? While Burns believes repeal is no longer viable, she said the act's default 'presumption of guilt' must change. 'The text of the law literally says you are a child until you can prove otherwise,' she explained. 'Your site is riddled with [dangerous content] until you can prove otherwise. 'I think any resolution has to start with flipping that on its head … The presumption of guilt before innocence, and the presumption of active complicity in the worst horrors of mankind, needs to go.' Paul Bernal, a professor of information technology law at UEA, said that there is no one solution to the problems sparked by the OSA, which he argued 'claims to deal with a lot of disparate, disconnected and often very vague problems'. 'Look at each problem carefully and independently,' he added. 'Yes, things like sex education at schools, particularly for boys, could help with porn. This won't – they'll run rings around the OSA.'
Spectator
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Reform gains another Scottish Tory councillor
To Aberdeenshire in Scotland, where a fourth Scottish Tory councillor has defected to Reform UK. It transpires that Dominic Lonchay – represents the East Garioch ward on the council – has jumped ship to Nigel Farage's real army in another blow to the Scottish Tories. Lonchay's defection makes him the 13th councillor to join Reform UK in Scotland – and the fourth on Aberdeenshire Council. The tide is turning… Commenting on his decision, Lonchay remarked: The reasons for this decision are many, and I have particularly recently been unable to influence the running of the council for the benefit of my constituents. I have therefore decided to join Reform Scotland, and I look forward to working with colleagues in the unaligned group of councillors for the benefit of my constituents. It's the latest blow for Tory-run council, after its leader Gillian Owen quit following a row which saw her brand her own colleagues 'f***ing bastards'.
The National
08-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Scottish Government 'not even told US trade deal was coming'
The Deputy First Minister said the lack of engagement from Labour had been 'disappointing', and said that the agreement left concerns which 'still need to be addressed". She said that 'urgent clarity' was needed on what the deal could mean for the import of food and agricultural produce from the US. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US president Donald Trump jointly announced the deal on Thursday. READ MORE: Labour red-faced after glaring error in US trade deal announcement As a result of the negotiations, US import taxes – which had threatened to cripple British high-end carmakers – were cut from 27.5% to 10%, while the 25% tariff on steel and aluminium were removed entirely. Though the Labour leader presented it as an "historic" announcement, the deal left 10% US tariffs on British goods in place in the vast majority of industries, including Scotch whisky and salmon, and requires the UK to buy $10 billion worth of goods from US firm Boeing. Forbes said afterwards that the Scottish Government would 'take time to consider this deal, and all its implications for Scotland, as further detail emerges'. She added: 'In particular, we will be seeking urgent clarity on what the deal means for imports of US food and agricultural products. 'We have always said that unilateral trade barriers are not the answer to global trade issues and so I obviously welcome the fact that some barriers will now be reduced.' But she added: 'The US is Scotland's second biggest international trading partner after the EU and a number of trade-related concerns still need to be addressed. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes (Image: Jane Barlow/PA) 'At a time of increased global economic insecurity, it's more important than ever that we champion Scottish world-class products to drive economic growth, support jobs and create the best possible environment for trade and investment.' Forbes went on to urge the UK Government to 'continue engaging closely with the US administration' but to also 'properly involve devolved administrations so that the interests of all parts of the UK are protected'. The news that Labour did not consult the devolved governments comes despite the party claiming they would "reset" relationship within the UK after taking power. The previous Tory-run UK government also faced criticism for excluding devolved governments from trade talks. In 2021, ministers in Scotland and Wales said the UK Government has "undermined" devolution by agreeing new trade deals which impact devolved issues.
The Independent
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Even though they have control of 10 councils, Reform may find that running them as they want is a lot harder than they think
In 11 years as a member of the European parliament and 10 months as an MP, Nigel Farage has tasted power as a one-man band leader of Ukip, the Brexit Party and now Reform UK without having any responsibility. That has changed after Reform's spectacular advance in last Thursday's local elections in England: Mr Farage's party now has 677 councillors and runs 10 authorities. Their actions in office will provide a huge test for Reform as it tries to show it is a credible party for power nationally. It has built a grassroots organisation and 'professionalised' the party in a way Mr Farage's previous vehicles failed to do. His council candidates were carefully vetted (unlike his standard-bearers at last year's general election), though it is likely that some with controversial views slipped through the net and may soon command unwanted headlines. The signs are that Reform HQ will try to keep a tight rein on its new representatives, but experience suggests that will be harder than it sounds. While many people turned to Reform last Thursday because they are disenchanted with both Labour and the Conservatives, some will have voted on local issues and would have been attracted by Mr Farage's pledges to root out waste to keep down council tax bills. The Independent believes Reform will struggle to turn the simplistic slogans of an election campaign into hard policy. Mr Farage wants a 'Doge' in every council – a reference to the Department of Government Efficiency set up by Elon Musk for Donald Trump. Of course, ensuring value for money is vital at a time when the UK's public finances are under intense pressure. But the idea that a hidden treasure trove is waiting to be discovered in town halls is fanciful: local authorities have borne the brunt of the austerity measures imposed by central government and been hollowed out. Their reserve kitties have largely been spent; several councils, including Tory-run ones, are in the red and others, like Birmingham and Nottingham city councils, have effectively declared themselves bankrupt. Many authorities can now provide little more than their statutory responsibilities, such as adult and children's social care and special educational needs. Even after the Starmer government put in extra money, council funding per resident is still 19 per cent lower than in 2020, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Reform admits its approach will be based on ideology as well as saving money. It promises to end 'woke nonsense' in town halls. Mr Farage has advised council officials working on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and net zero to look for 'alternative careers'. Yet, as our political editor revealed, the extent of such appointments has been exaggerated. Most of the authorities Reform won were previously under the control of the Tories, who are not known for their adherence to the DEI cause. Savings from ending such practices may prove paltry. Zia Yusuf, Reform's energetic chair, wants to ' remoralise ' young people by bringing in a 'patriotic curriculum' in schools so pupils are no longer taught to 'hate their country'. A better approach would be an honest and balanced appraisal of the history of the British empire – including episodes such as the slave trade. The party's new local champions, including Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, have vowed to oppose housing asylum seekers in their areas who crossed the Channel in small boats. This will probably require legal action, since contracts signed by the Home Office are in place until 2029. Mr Farage's councillors may also resort to legal challenges to stop the building of wind and solar farms, which would be regrettable. It would be no surprise if the courts ruled that asylum and energy policy are matters for the national government. Reform, which also intends to bring in outside auditors to review council contracts with private companies, could end up spending millions of pounds of local taxpayers' money on fruitless challenges – money that councils plainly do not have. The irony is that such actions would be an example of the very waste the party has vowed to wipe out, with little purpose other than to make Reform politicians feel good about themselves. The likely trouble ahead for Reform councillors should give both Labour and the Tories pause for thought. If they are panicked into aping Reform, as some in both parties want to see, many voters will surely opt for the real thing. Far better to take on Mr Farage, expose the contradictions in his thin policy offer and deploy the ammunition provided by the long overdue scrutiny his party will receive now it has responsibility as well as power.
The Independent
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Local election results live: Badenoch sorry for Tory ‘bloodbath' as Farage gloats Conservatives are finished
Kemi Badenoch has apologised for the local elections 'bloodbath' as Nigel Farage has gloated the Tories are 'finished'. All 23 councils have now been announced, with Reform UK winning 10, the Liberal Democrats three, and another 10 now under no overall control – while Reform's Sarah Pochin also dramatically beat Labour in a by-election for Runcorn and Helsby by six votes, overcoming a majority of more than 14,000 a year ago. And Mr Farage's party also won two mayoral elections. Writing in the Telegraph, the Conservative leader admitted predictions the local elections were going to be a 'bloodbath' for her party had been correct, as she said: 'I'm deeply sorry to see so many capable, hard-working Conservative councillors lose their seats.' Speaking of the Tories, Mr Farage told new councillors in Staffordshire: 'They are over, they are finished, they have literally been gutted in these counties, it is a position from which they will never, ever recover.' Reform won in Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Kent, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire councils, which were all previously Tory-run. It took control of Durham and Doncaster councils, where Labour was previously the biggest party. Across the local councils the BBC reports that Reform has gained 677 councillors, the Lib Dems 163 and the Greens 45. The Conservatives have lost 676, Labour 186. Maskell urges Labour to scrap winter fuel and welfare policies that 'are pushing voters away' Labour MP Rachael Maskell has urged her party to scrap winter fuel and welfare policies that she said are pushing voters away. The York Central MP told BBC Breakfast that Labour has 'special responsibilities' to serve the needs of people. She said: 'We're not any other political party, we were created to serve the needs of people across working areas of our country so that people had a real voice of the kind of change that they wanted to see. 'I think it's now time, if Labour are going to go further faster, to pick up that voice, to put our fingers on the pulse and to understand that that responsibility that the 1945 government set out putting that safety net in place at the welfare state is on our watch and is our responsibility. 'So, scrapping these proposals to push disabled people into hardship is an absolutely crucial part of that change, showing that we're going to be listening to the country and protecting the people at their time of need. 'Of course we want to get more people into work. Of course the changes to the health system is really crucial … but also we've got to help people and care for people as we go on that journey.' She added: 'People went cold last winter and that's not what a Labour government should be doing. 'We have got that mandate, I believe, as a party to look at how we can better redistribute wealth, as opposed to taking out of the pockets of the poorest.' Tara Cobham3 May 2025 09:31 Labour MP suggests local election losses due to her party failing to live up to its values A Labour MP has suggested that voters shunned her party in local elections because it has failed to live up to the values the public expects from a Labour government. York Central MP Rachael Maskell said Labour needs to be driven by 'a framework of values, which is about protecting people, helping people to move forward in their lives and ensuring you've got those public services ready and working so that people can have that support when they need it'. 'That is what Labour governments do,' she told BBC Breakfast. 'I believe that when Labour does not meet that sweet spot, that expectation that people have of a Labour government, then they start to look in less favourable places for where that help comes from. 'Yesterday, many people were searching for that response, to find that protection, to get that support. 'But, sadly, if Labour were not offering that, they would look in other places. 'That's why Labour have got to learn from the results yesterday and ensure that we do meet the needs of people in this country in very, very trying times.' Tara Cobham Reform will find out there are 'no simple answers', senior Tory MP warns Reform UK will find out there are 'no simple answers' to local public finances and have to make 'difficult choices' after the party surged in local elections, a senior Tory MP has said. Richard Fuller, shadow chief treasury secretary, said it was now up to Nigel Farage's party to see if they can deliver in the areas where they have won council seats and mayoral polls. He told GB News: 'We have to acknowledge Reform did very well yesterday. 'They won the Runcorn by-election off Labour. They've won some mayoralties and now they will get the chance to show what they can actually do when they give them power. 'So, no longer pointing at problems, but actually there to try and find solutions, albeit on a local level, to help the people in Lincolnshire or Hull, where they have taken over the mayoralties. 'And other areas where they have taken control of the council. 'They'll find out, Reform will find out, I think, that there are no simple answers locally to public finances at local government level, they'll have to make some difficult choices and the local public will … hold them to account for the decisions they make.' Tara Cobham3 May 2025 08:38 Main party leaders now under pressure after Reform sweeps to victory in local elections Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch face pressure to reverse their parties' fortunes after the local elections saw Reform UK make major gains across England. Nigel Farage hailed the results as 'the end of two-party politics' and 'the death of the Conservative Party' as Reform picked up 10 councils and more than 600 seats in Thursday's poll. Conservative figures sought to deny that the results were 'existential' for the party. But, squeezed between Reform and the Liberal Democrats, the Tories lost more than 600 councillors and all 15 of the councils it controlled going into the election, among the worst results in the party's history. Mrs Badenoch herself apologised to the defeated Conservative councillors, adding: 'I am going to make sure that we get ourselves back to the place where we are seen as the credible alternative to Labour.' Meanwhile, several Labour figures called on the Prime Minister to change course after Reform won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by six votes and took control of the previously Labour-run Doncaster Council. Backbench MP Emma Lewell, who has represented South Shields since 2013, said it was 'tone deaf to keep repeating we will move further and faster on our plan for change. 'What is needed is a change of plan.' Tara Cobham3 May 2025 08:18 Mapped: Momentous night for Reform UK Alex Croft3 May 2025 07:30 Comment | It was a bad night for Labour – but even worse for the Tories It shouldn't make a difference to assessing Reform's performance whether it won the Runcorn by-election by six votes or lost by six, but in practice, it makes all the difference in the world. It confirms that a government that is still new is so deeply unpopular that it cannot hold one of its safest seats. A landslide general election win that matched the giddiness of Blairphoria just 10 months ago has turned into the humiliation of defeat at the hands of Nigel Farage. It confirms that Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff and architect of his general election victory, is right to see Farage as the main threat to the Labour government – but it also shows how ineffective Labour's attempt to fight Reform on the issue of immigration has been. It was a bad night for Labour – but even worse for the Tories Nigel Farage's success was humiliating for Keir Starmer but ultimately more threatening to Kemi Badenoch, writes John Rentoul Alex Croft3 May 2025 06:29 National vote projections give Reform large lead Two national vote share projections, which estimate the result if the entire nation had voted in a general election yesterday, show a significant read for Nigel Farage's reform. The BBC's Projected National Share had Reform on 30 per cent, with Labour the second largest party at 20 per cent. The Lib Dems would come third with 17 per cent while the Conservatives would have dropped down to be the fourth most popular party, at just 15 per cent of the vote. The Greens would sit at 11 per cent. Meanwhile, Sky's National Estimated Share put Reform at 32 per cent of the vote. Labour and the Tories were the next largest parties, at 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. The Lib Dems would take 16 per cent of the vote, and the Greens seven. Alex Croft3 May 2025 06:01 Local elections in pics: All smiles for Reform as Labour and Tories suffer trouncing Alex Croft3 May 2025 05:00 Farage criticises leaders aiming to 'please everybody' Nigel Farage took aim at leaders who want to 'please everybody' in favour of having opinions. He told the PA news agency: 'Politics is about choices, having opinions, you like an individual you like what they stand for, and over the last few years it's become about leaders who want to please everybody and stand for nothing in particular.' 'It's pretty straight forward where I am on nearly all issues and if people like it that's great and if they don't it's called democracy.' Alex Croft3 May 2025 04:00 Comment | We are witnessing the slow death of Conservative England Associate editor Sean O'Grady writes: As things stand, the question of the leadership of the Conservative Party, the oldest and most successful force in democratic politics in human history, feels almost like an irrelevance – because whether Kemi Badenoch survives or who might replace her are second-order questions in the context of these more fundamental societal changes. The Tory party, in other words, seems doomed, whoever is in charge – even if there will always be some hope it can recover. Great swathes of the country the Tories could always rely upon – Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire, for heaven's sake – have fallen to the Farageistas. At the general election, the Tories lost ground to Labour and the Liberal Democrats – Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Devon – and they're not recovering any of it now. It's hard to see what leader or agenda could emerge that would allow them to do so; and a pact with Farage, which he feels no need to bother with, would simply be an act of surrender to the Reform insurgency. In these local and council elections, we've witnessed another seizure in the slow death of Conservative England – and it's not going to be the last. Alex Croft3 May 2025 03:00
