Drink spiking laws to be modernised, Home Office says

Plans to modernise spiking laws will be set out in the coming days.

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Rishi Sunak warns 'enemies' want to use migration as a 'weapon'

Changes to global refugee rules could be needed to tackle illegal migration, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said, as he warned of the threat of migrants to “overwhelm” European countries.

At a gathering of Italian conservatives and right-wingers in Rome, Sunak offered a stark warning about illegal migration and the need for radical solutions to tackle the issue.

Sunak said “enemies” want to use migration as a “weapon”, “deliberately driving people to our shores to try to destabilise our society”.

“If we do not tackle this problem, the numbers will only grow. It will overwhelm our countries and our capacity to help those who actually need our help the most.

Watch his comments above

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'Concern for Biden' Democratic Muslims turn away from US President at refusal to call for ceasefire

Joe Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict could see him alienating a hefty portion of his core vote, a political commentator has claimed.

The US President has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, something that has outraged many on the left.

One particular voting base that is likely to be disappointed with Biden’s stance is Democrat Muslims, Lauren Wright from Princeton University has claimed.

Wright added that Biden may opt to hold the line as the number of Jewish voters greatly outweighs Muslim voters.

“Biden has been pushed very consistently by the far-left, progressive wing of the Democrats to call for a ceasefire”, she said.

“He has been critical of Israel, increasingly so lately, but he has not caved to these policy demands.

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“That is the crux of the issue for these Muslim voters.”

She told Jacob Rees-Mogg that the voting block is a “consistent” supporter of the Democrat party, and also have a high turnout rate.

“There are about 1.5 million registered Muslim American voters”, she said.

“Their turnout rate is very high, about 70 per cent in 2020. They are pretty consistent supporters of the Democrat Party.

“However, it depends what you’re comparing it to. Jewish American voters, who Biden also really needs to keep on his side, are about six times the size of the Muslim voting block.

“He has this very delicate coalition of groups who have completely opposing views on the Israel-Hamas war, and he needs to please both of them.”

Despite the tricky situation Biden is faced with, Wright does not believe Muslim voters will turn to a Republican Party that is likely to be fronted by Donald Trump as its presidential candidate at the 2024 election.

She told GB News: “They have said very clearly that they are not willing to abandon ship and support Donald Trump.

“Really, it’s a toothless threat. It’s a policy demand, it’s understandable. Any group who wants to hear their demands made will say ‘we’re going to stay home next year’, but they have not said they will switch parties.

“That is different from Jewish American voters who have been trending more conservative in recent years.

“Republicans happen to be much closer to the Jewish viewpoint on the war. To just put an exclamation point on that, the Israel-Hamas war is a top issue for Jewish voters.

“97 per cent of them say in surveys that they are playing very close attention.”

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Sadiq Khan BLOCKS plans to send cars scrapped under Ulez to Ukraine front line - 'It's absurd!'

Sadiq Khan has refused to send cars destined for the scrapheap under Ulez to Ukraine, where they are needed on the front line.

The Mayor of London blocked plans to send vehicles - typically 4x4s and pick-up trucks - to the war zone.

Motorists can claim a one-off payment of £2,000 to scrap their car which does not comply with Ulez regulations.

Those non-compliant vehicles which includes diesel cars registered before September 2015 and petrol cars registered before January 2006, must pay a daily charge of £12.50.

Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv wrote to Khan in September following the launch of the scrappage scheme asking if some of the vehicles could be donated to Ukraine.

He said the move would have “enormous potential” and be used in a “variety of life-saving and transport roles”.

However, Khan responded to the request stating that he could not comply because it did not meet the “legal threshold” that requires the Ulez scrappage scheme to benefit Londoners from an “economic, social and environmental perspective”.

The Conservative candidate for mayor of London, Susan Hall has criticised Khan's decision.

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"Sadiq Khan’s refusal to send scrapped Ulez cars to Ukraine, citing a legal quirk, is absurd," she told the Telegraph.

"Londoners who choose to scrap their cars should have the freedom to decide for themselves if they want their car sent to support Ukraine.

"Standing with Ukraine against tyrants like Putin is not only a moral imperative but also in the best interest of all Londoners and the global community."

Richard Lofthouse, who works with Car for Ukraine, a volunteer initiative which delivers 4x4s and trucks to the front line, said Khan had shown a “lack of political courage”.

He said: "Presumably it’s no bad thing and no ‘disbenefit’ for Londoners to actually show solidarity with another free state fighting tyranny.

"Rather than only line the greedy pockets of private scrapyard merchants who are receiving thousands of perfectly good cars as the result of the scrappage scheme subsidy."

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, volunteers from organisations such as Car for Ukraine have been driving donated 4x4s and larger vehicles to the war zone for soldiers on the front line.

Gareth Johnson, the MP for Dartford who introduced a private members’ Bill to overturn the Ulez expansion, added: "I am gobsmacked. The vast majority of Londoners would want to see vehicles that can help the people of Ukraine in their difficult time. This is bureaucracy gone mad and it’s an astonishing decision by Sadiq Khan."

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Suella Braverman's behind-the-scenes fight to take over from Sunak - analysis by Millie Cooke

Suella Braverman has been nothing short of a total nightmare for Rishi Sunak in recent months.

It began just days before she was sacked as Home Secretary when she penned a scathing Op-Ed in the Telegraph criticising the police for its failure to ban Armistice Day protests.

Since then, she has launched intervention after intervention, accusing Sunak of blocking her plans to curb migration and being complacent on an issue which is so important to Conservative voters.

She has accused him of a "betrayal of Tory voters" and issuing a "slap in the face to the British public".

The former Home Secretary has said Sunak has "no personal mandate to be Prime Minister" and accused him of "opting for wishful thinking as a comfort blanket to avoid having to make hard choices".

She has chipped away at his character, hitting the PM exactly where it hurts - reminding Tory MPs and members that he is not standing up for the values that matter to them, nor was he elected into the job.

Not only that - every intervention sees the former home secretary distance herself more and more from the Home Office's record on its key mission: stopping the boats.

She has somehow managed to leave Sunak to take the blame for the wreckage of a migration plan, the majority of which she oversaw.

As the UK approaches a general election, the question hanging over the Conservative Party is, who will take over from Sunak if the party suffers the defeat that everyone expects?

Braverman has manoeuvred herself well to be the favourite of the right. Her unofficial campaign has centred around being a straight-talking politician who does whatever it takes to stand up for traditional conservative values.

While her approval rating among the public is poor - a YouGov poll from last month put her at a net approval rating of -26 - she is acutely aware of the fact that it is not the public who would elect her next year

Her interventions have been a consistent rallying cry to the party membership - and they are the ones that hold the key to the top Tory job.

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While there is a risk that all her posturing may have ruffled too many feathers on both sides of the party, without those interventions Braverman knows she would have been tarnished with the same brush as Sunak on migration - an issue even more lethal than upsetting sections of her party.

Only time will tell if Braverman will throw her hat in the Tory leadership ring. But if she does, what is certainly clear is that her campaign started early.

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Just Stop Oil protest outside Sir Keir Starmer's HOME as police forced to intervene

Keir Starmer's home was targeted by Just Stop Oil protesters last night, singing reworded carols to criticise his position on the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea.

They arrived outside his home at 8.30pm last night, demanding the Labour leader to commit to ending all new oil and gas licenses in the UK.

Police attended the scene, ordering the protesters to disperse. But no arrests were made, the Metropolitan Police said.

The protesters delivered a letter outlining his demands, as well as holding placards. One read: "Revoke Rosebank", while another said: "Arrest the real criminals".

The Labour Party has said it is opposed to the Rosebank oilfield but in September confirmed the party would not reverse the decision to grant a licence for the Scottish development.

Starmer said: "We will accept the baseline that we inherit from the government if we win that election … in order to ensure we have the stability that we desperately need in our economy."

The protesters said in their letter: “This is the most critical juncture in human history and you will likely soon be in the fortunate position where you can enact real, meaningful change.”

They added: “You have a choice. You can join a long list of politicians that promised change and delivered nothing, knowing full well that insufficient action is killing people right now and will result in the deaths of countless millions more.

“Or you can make a commitment to cancel all licences approved by the current government and end all future licensing and consents for fossil fuel exploration and extraction in the UK.”

Just a few weeks ago, Just Stop Oil protesters staged a similar demonstration outside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's home in Kensington, London.

Making similar demands, they banged pots and pans outside the PM's London residence.

The protest was held to coincide with the start of the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai.

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Cop28 saw the prime minister say he was "not in hock to ideological zealots" on the issue of climate change.

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Social media ban for under-16s 'speculation' - but 'right' we look at potential harms, says minister

A ban on social media use for under-16s has been branded "speculation" - but the government must "continue to look at" the need to protect children, a minister has said.

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Analysis reveals the workers that could be in shorter supply after visa rules change

Software programmers, IT specialists and chefs could be in shorter supply when an increased minimum salary for skilled worker visas kicks in next year, according to analysis conducted for Sky News.

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Americans in Biden's hometown 'worried sick' over migrant crisis - 'we're on a razor's edge'

Americans in Joe Biden’s hometown are “worried sick” over the migrant crisis as the president continues to fumble over his open border policy.

Thousands of migrants are currently trying to cross the US border every day under Biden’s watch.

However, the president has been blasted for failing to even “acknowledge the problem”.

Speaking to GB News about the threat of the US migrant crisis, Bob Cordaro, host of the Bob Cordaro Show on WILK Newsradio, said locals in the president’s home town: “they're worried sick over it”.

He added: “Now that there's the spectre of I believe we're going to face terrorist incidents in this country from the people we've let without vetting into the country.

“I mean, if 1 per cent of 10 million people is bad, whether it's criminal or terrorist, you've got a nightmare on your hands that we've created with his open border policy.

“I think the people in this area who are predominantly working class and middle class are starting to feel that bite.”

The comments came just before the FBI issued a fresh warning that terrorist groups could strike during the festive period as they use the Israel-Hamas war as an excuse to increase violence.

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A new joint bulletin from the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice to local, state and federal law enforcement warns that groups like al Qaeda and ISIS will likely use the war in Gaza as an opportunity to attack.

It said the terror organisations will use the ongoing Middle Eastern war “to increase calls for violence in the US during the holiday season compared to prior years.”

The bulletin said the most likely “primary targets” could include churches, synagogues and members of the Jewish community.

Cordaro added: “I had been given information a year ago, maybe it's two now about these illegal flights coming into the Wilkes Barre Scranton International Airport.

“We caught them and we stopped them, but not after that. Not until they lied a number of times about that they were even happening.

“But I think people are on a razor's edge about this migration, this illegal immigration crisis that the Biden administration has created.”

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Could a February budget give the government more wiggle room?

Today's news that Britain's economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.3% in the month of October will send a shiver down the spine of, not only the Treasury, but Number 10 too.

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Trump tipped to follow Britain's Rwanda policy as Biden 'copying Europe's migration errors'

Donald Trump and the Republican Party have been tipped to follow in Britain’s lead and create their own Rwanda plan as migrants continue to flood across the southern US border.

Thousands of migrants are currently trying to cross the US border every day under Biden’s watch.

However, the president has been blasted for failing to even “acknowledge the problem”.

In the UK, the controversial Rwanda plan scheme would aim to send asylum seekers and illegal immigrants to the African nation while asylum claims are processed.

Speaking to GB News, Bob Cordaro, host of the Bob Cordaro Show on WILK Newsradio, explained how the US is “copying Europe’s migration errors”.

When asked about whether the US could launch its own version of the Rwanda plan Cordaro said Biden is not considering any sort of similar scheme but that “the Republican Party is”.

“The unfortunate part is that the United States is copying Europe's migration errors,” Cordaro told GB News.

“How and why? I don't know. They haven't learned a thing, but they're proceeding at a pace.

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“I don't think we're even at the point where we could [do a Rwanda scheme].

“The American left, who is in charge of the Democrat party, who's in charge of so many of our cities, but is certainly in charge of the border and immigration issues, I don't even think they've acknowledged the problem yet.

“So we're a long way from coming up with common sense solutions such as having people from certain cultures that need to migrate go to places where the culture is similar.

“But I don't see us being that wise. I think we've watched Europe, we've ignored the calamities that have occurred and the oncoming train that the migration crisis has caused in Europe culturally, economically and so forth.

“No, I don't think they're they're looking at it at all.

“I think the Republican Party is, but certainly not this crew.”

The comments came just before 37 Tory MPs abstained from yesterday’s vote on the Rwanda Bill.

Although the bill passed its second reading with a majority of 44 votes, a significant number of MPs, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, abstained due to concerns over the legislation.

Speaking on the situation on the southern US border, former Uvalde mayor, Don McLaughlin, told GB News’ Jacob Rees-Mogg that his town was plagued with what he called the “got-aways”.

The Texan mayor told Rees-Mogg: “Well, one of the things that we deal with is what they call ‘the got-aways’. The foot traffic and then the high-speed chases.

“I mean we have high-speed pursuits on a daily basis at Uvalde, anywhere from two to four a day. Then they come in the community and they bail out and run through the neighbourhoods and so forth.

“And so that ties our law enforcement up all day trying to round up these people because we don't know who's in these cars.

“So it's just really frustrating. Now the influx has gotten so much that people are even walking from the border through our town and community.

“And as they go they have a sense of entitlement and they steal, they take what they want and really don't think they have any regard for anybody's property or anybody's safety.”

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Drakeford may have been short on flamboyance, but his record in government has been far from dull

His admirers and supporters say Mark Drakeford is unassuming and modest. His detractors and opponents would claim he's dull.

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'Not voting for it!' Tory rebels ABSTAIN en masse on Rwanda Bill as Rishi Sunak faces knife-edge vote

Right-wing Tory rebels have dealt Rishi Sunak a major blow ahead of tonight's Rwanda vote by vowing "not to support" the Safety of Rwanda Bill.

The Prime Minister is hoping to avoid a humilating defeat in the House of Commons but is facing an uphill struggle after five different Tory factions ruled out supporting Sunak's latest illegal immigration plan.

European Research Group chairman Mark Francois addressed reporters just fifteen miniutes before the Safety of Rwanda Bill division.

Flanked by other Tory rebels, the Rayleigh & Wickford MP said: "We have decided collectively that we cannot support the Bill tonight because of its many omissions.

"Therefore, while it is down to every individual colleague, ultimately, to decide what to do, collectively we will not be supporting it."

Francois also claimed Sunak is "prepared to entertain tightening the Bill".

The five Tory groups, including the New Conservatives and Common Sense Group, vowed to table the so-called Cash Amendment.

However, the Prime Minister could face a difficult third reading with MPs on the left and right openly discussing voting down the Bill before it passes through the Commons.

A total of 40 MPs are expected to abstain on tonight's vote.

But the "five families" of Tory rebels, which also include the Northern Research Group and Conservative Future, comprise a 100 MPs.

If all MPs associated with the ginger groups were to abstain then the Government would likely lose tonight's division.

Despite refusing to collectively support the Safety of Rwanda Bill, some members of the "five families" have already come out to support the Prime Minister's efforts.

Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant said yesterday: "As a member of the ERG, I personally will be voting FOR the Rwanda Bill tomorrow at 7pm.

"It is not perfect (no Bill ever is), but I agree with its principle: to deter the slavers providing dangerous channel crossings. Amendments can then be made later in the usual way."

However, the other leading members of the "five families" were also keen to stress their disapproval with Sunak's Bill.

Common Sense Group chairman Sir John Hayes said: "We will consider what the Government do next, and what they do next will determine what we do next and that means the third reading of the Bill."

Miriam Cates, a leading MP from the New Conservatives, added: "We all agree that the Bill is defective as it is. We don't believe it will stop the boats; there are too many opportunities for legal challenges.

"But we do support the principle of the Bill to stop the votes and do what we promised to the electorate.

"We have agreed to act collectively to not support the Bill at this stage but be open to amendments from the Government's that would strengthen the Bill significantly at committee stage and third reading."

The result of the Safety of Rwanda Bill's second reading vote is expected at 7.30pm tonight.

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Relief for PM as he avoids damaging defeat on Rwanda bill

Rishi Sunak has avoided a damaging Tory rebellion over his flagship Rwanda bill in a crunch vote in the Commons.

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Mike Pompeo rages at being 'cancelled' by uni while 'rampant antisemitism allowed on campus'

Mike Pompeo has slammed a university after he claims that he was 'cancelled' and that it has allowed 'rampant antisemitism'.

The former scratary of state has criticised Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who he said cancelled one of his speeches in 2020.

It comes as MIT president Sally Kornbluth was accused of allowing anti Semitism on campus during a Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Kornbluth drew a distinction between speech and conduct, suggesting that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the college’s rules "if targeted at individuals."

WATCH: Jacob Rees-Mogg MP on antisemitism in the UK

Speaking on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: "As secretary of state, MIT cancelled my campus speech about the CCP because it “risked offending” Chinese students.

"Now these schools justify rampant antisemitism because of a "commitment" to free speech? These institutions are morally bankrupt."

Pompeo alleges that the university cancelled his planned campus speech in 2020 over concerns he would criticize the university for receiving funding from China.

MIT has denied Pompeo's claims, saying that the decision not to host Pompeo rested on covid-19 restrictions in place at the time.

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Pompeo claims his office received a call from MIT a couple of weeks before the scheduled speech, stating the university could not accommodate his visit.

He wrote that then-president of MIT, Rafael Reif, "made clear that the risk of offending his Chinese students was too great."

The New York Post reported that China has given more than $1.3 billion to US universities since 2013.

Speaking at the time, Pompeo said: "Americans must know how the Chinese Communist Party is poisoning the well of our higher education institutions for its own ends, and how those actions degrade our freedoms and American national security."

In recent weeks, the federal government has opened investigations into several universities − including Penn and Harvard − regarding antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates has criticised MIT, along with Harvard and Penn for how they had responded to instances of antisemitism on campuses.

Bates said: "It’s unbelievable that this needs to be said: calls for genocide are monstrous and antithetical to everything we represent as a country."

"Any statements that advocate for the systematic murder of Jews are dangerous and revolting and we should all stand firmly against them, on the side of human dignity and the most basic values that unite us as Americans."

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Whatever happens in Rwanda vote, Rishi Sunak is in deep trouble

Whatever happens in the vote over emergency legislation tomorrow, Rishi Sunak is in deep trouble.

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Tory civil war reaches escalates as Sunak issued migration ultimatum in fight for survival

Rishi Sunak is facing yet another Tory civil war after being issued with an ultimatum on his Safety of Rwanda Bill.

Despite recommending its members support the plan, the One Nation Caucus withheld its unequivocal support for the legislation if it reaches the third reading.

Liberal-leaning Tory MPs remain concerned about any future amendments meaning the Government breaches the rule of law and its international obligations.

The group of around 100 MPs will be advised to oppose amendments which could potentially cause this issue.

WATCH NOW: ERG chairman Mark Francois discusses Sunak's vote tomorrow

Ashford MP Damian Green, who chairs the One Nation Cacus, said: "We have taken the decision that the most important thing at this stage is to support the Bill despite our real concerns.

"We strongly urge the Government to stand firm against any attempt to amend the Bill in a way that would make it unaccpetable to those who believe that support for the rule of law is a basic Conservative principle."

Former Culture Minister Matt Warman added: "The Bill as it stands represents a delicate balance between what is legally possible and what will make a real difference to this vital issue.

"It is in the national interest for the Conservative Party to resolve this matter quickly and amicably, and for the Government to resist proposals that would derail other parts of the package of measures necessary to tackle illegal migration."

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The Prime Minister could also face a rebellion tomorrow after MPs on the right of the party voiced concern about the Safety of Rwanda Bill.

The Brexit-backing European Research Group, who plagued both David Cameron and Theresa May's premiership with a number of constitutional challenges, said the new law aimed at overcoming legal hurdles does not go "far enough to deliver the policy".

The ERG has not decided whether to back the legislation as Sunak faces his crunch Commons vote tomorrow.

Mark Francois, who chairs the Eurosceptic faction, said: "The feeling very much in the meeting is that the government would be best advised to pull the bill and come up with a revised version that works better than this one which has so many holes in it."

The ERG's legal analysis argues the bill still allows individuals to challenge their removal to Rwanda if their specific personal circumstances mean this would put them at risk of serious harm.

The Government is hoping to win over wavering MPs by circulating modelling which shows the projected effects of the proposed legislation.

Data compiled by the Home Office revealed 90 per cent of those appealing against deportation to Rwanda would see their appeals rejected between 10 and 12 days after arriving in the UK.

Around five per cent would would be expected to have their appeals accepted and the remainder would likely go to Rwanda.

However, ringleaders on the Tory right believe they have the numbers to defeat the Government tomorrow night.

A group of Tories, known as the New Conservatives, will meet at No10 for breakfast tomorrow morning.

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One Nation group of Tory MPs say they will back Rwanda bill

The One Nation group of centrist Tory MPs have said they will vote for Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill despite their "concerns" it disapplies the Human Rights Act.

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