Tony Blair aides wanted asylum holding camp on Scottish island

Tony Blair's government considered setting up a holding camp on the Isle of Mull to drive down the number of asylum seekers entering the UK, according to newly released official papers.

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MPs call for law to punish people going to football matches without tickets

MPs are calling for a specific law to punish people who enter football stadia without tickets.

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More than 85,000 appointments hit by latest NHS strikes

NHS strikes disrupted more than 85,000 appointments last week, according to newly released figures.

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Jacques Delors, architect of modern EU, dies aged 98

Former European Commission President Jacques Delor has died aged 98, his daughter says.

Known as the "architect of the EU", Delors helped design the single market allowing the free movement of people, goods and services between member states.

The French politician also pushed for the creation of the Euro.

He served as head of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995.

Delors' daughter Martine Aubry said he died in his sleep on Wednesday morning in his home in Paris.

Michel Barnier paid tribute to Delors, describing him as a "source of inspiration" in both French and EU politics.

He said the politician was a "humanist at the service of cooperation and solidarity between Europeans."

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was an “inexhaustible architect of our Europe” and a fighter for human justice.

He said: "His commitment, his ideals and his righteousness will always inspire us.

"I salute his work and his memory and share the pain of his loved ones."

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Delors' mission to bring Europe closer together was strongly opposed by Margret Thatcher at the time.

It led to several disagreements between London and Brussels.

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Tories hint at extra support for first-time buyers to woo young voters at next election

The Tories could promise to cut the upfront cost of a home for first time buyers to win over younger voters at the next election, it has been suggested.

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Brexit promise broken by Sunak as return of imperial measurements scrapped

The Government stopped short of a post-Brexit overhaul of the measurement system, despite Boris Johnson planning to change the rules.

The former Prime Minister said the UK would look at changing its measurement system as part of a wider overhaul of retained EU rules.

But Sunak has decided against pursuing the change.

This came after nearly 99 per cent of people responding to a consultation said they would prefer to stick with the metric system.

EU rules meant imperial measurements - such as pounds and ounces - could only be displayed alongside metric measurements, and they could not be more prominent.

When the proposals were first made by Boris Johnson, critics denounced it as "nostalgia".

Labour MP Angela Eagle claimed ministers were "attempting to weaponise nostalgia for a time few can remember and even fewer wish to return to".

Conservative backbencher Alicia Kearns agreed, saying: "Not one constituent, ever, has asked for this.”

However, the Government has said it will proceed with changes to the sale of still and sparling wine, allowing wine to be sold in pints from the new year.

The Department for Business and Trade said the new 568ml size bottle will be sold alongside 200ml and 500ml measures already available for still and sparkling wine.

Still wine is currently not available for sale in 200ml quantities and sparkling wine cannot be sold in 500ml amounts.

Pint bottles of Champagne were sold in the UK before the country joined the European Common Market. They were on shelves until 1973.

Their production was stopped as they did not comply with EU weights and measures rules.

The Department for Business and Trade said as many as 900 vineyards - producing around 12.2 million bottles of still or sparkling wine a year - are set to benefit from the new post-Brexit "freedoms".

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The reforms come as part of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.

Kevin Hollinrake, Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, said: “Innovation, freedom and choice – that’s what today’s announcement gives to producers and consumers alike.

“Our exit from the EU was all about moments just like this, where we can seize new opportunities and provide a real boost to our great British wineries and further growing the economy.”

WineGB chief executive Nicola Bates said: “We welcome the chance to be able to harmonise still and sparkling bottle sizes and we are happy to raise a glass to the greater choice.”

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Pints of wine to be stocked on British shelves in post-Brexit law change

'Pints' of wine will be stocked on British shelves for the first time, the Government has announced.

The Department for Business and Trade said the new 568ml size bottle will be sold alongside 200ml and 500ml measures already available for still and sparkling wine.

Still wine is currently not available for sale in 200ml quantities and sparkling wine cannot be sold in 500ml amounts.

Pint bottles of Champagne were sold in the UK before the country joined the European Common Market.

They were on shelves until 1973.

Their production was stopped as they did not comply with EU weights and measures rules.

The Department for Business and Trade said as many as 900 vineyards - producing around 12.2 million bottles of still or sparkling wine a year - are set to benefit from the new post-Brexit "freedoms".

The reforms come as part of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.

Kevin Hollinrake, Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, said: “Innovation, freedom and choice – that’s what today’s announcement gives to producers and consumers alike.

“Our exit from the EU was all about moments just like this, where we can seize new opportunities and provide a real boost to our great British wineries and further growing the economy.”

WineGB chief executive Nicola Bates said: “We welcome the chance to be able to harmonise still and sparkling bottle sizes and we are happy to raise a glass to the greater choice.”

But the Government stopped short of a post-Brexit overhaul of the measurement system.

This came after nearly 99 per cent of people responding to a consultation said they would prefer to stick with the metric system.

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When the proposals were first made by Boris Johnson, critics denounced it as "nostalgia".

Labour MP Angela Eagle claimed ministers were "attempting to weaponise nostalgia for a time few can remember and even fewer wish to return to".

Conservative backbencher Alicia Kearns agreed, saying: "Not one constituent, ever, has asked for this.”

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Rishi Sunak poised to SCRAP Inheritance Tax as part of three huge tax changes for Britons

Rishi Sunak is looking at scrapping inheritance tax and making two major changes to income tax in just a matter of weeks as part of a pre-election handout to boost the Conservative Party's position in the polls.

Number 10 is said to be discussing introducing the cuts in three months time.

Sources told the Telegraph the PM has demanded a "gear change" on tax, after making inflation his main priority, over cutting the tax burden.

In addition to axeing inheritance tax, the Treasury is also considering increasing the threshold at which people start paying the 40 per cent rate of income tax and reducing the basic 20 per cent rate.

Inheritance tax is paid on estates worth over £325,000.

Earlier this year, figures from the Institute of Fiscal Studies showed that Inheritance Tax will raise £15 billion per year by 2032.

Analysis of the latest HMRC figures showed fewer than four per cent of estates paid inheritance tax between 2020 and 2021.

The number is expected to rise to more than seven per cent across the next ten years, as a result of the growth in wealth of older adults.

Inheritance tax is paid on estates worth over £325,000.

The IFS report said this year, the cost of abolishing Inheritance Tax would be £7 billion, but this would rise to £15 billion per year by 2032.

The report warned: "The 90 per cent or so of estates not paying inheritance tax would not be directly affected by such a reform."

Earlier this year, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps this week described inheritance tax as "deeply unfair" and "punitive".

He said: "I think it’s a question, for many people, of aspiration, and people know that there’s something deeply unfair about being taxed all their lives and then being taxed in death as well."

When cuts to inheritance tax were floated in September, ahead of the Autumn Statement, Labour criticised the plans.

Shadow Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones said: "A year ago, Liz Truss trashed the economy with unfunded tax cuts. Now Rishi Sunak is doing what Liz Truss wants.

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"Abolishing inheritance tax – which 96 per cent of people never pay – is an unfunded tax cut of £7.2bn per year.

"The biggest threat to the economy is the Conservative Party."

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Sir Keir Starmer draws up his OWN Rwanda plan alternative in bid to tackle soaring migration

The Labour Party is said to be drawing up its own alternative to the Rwanda migration plan, as part of an attempt to neautralise attacks from the Conservative Party ahead of a general election.

Sir Keir Starmer has faced criticism from the Tories claiming he is soft on migration.

But sources told the Times the Labour leader is considering detailed plans for offshore processing schemes, which would see asylum seekers have their claims processed overseas.

However, he is said to have ruled out introducing Rwanda-style deportations.

Three tests must be met in order to secure the party's seal of approval, shadow ministers and party officials working on the plans have warned.

They have warned it must be cost-effective and credible enough to deter migrants from crossing the channel.

It also must clear the legal hurdles which have left the Government's Rwanda scheme beleaguered by issues.

The main difference between Labour's plan and the current proposals put forward by the Tories is that any refugees who are granted asylum status in the offshore processing centres would be returned to the UK.

A senior Labour source told the Times: "We've always looked at the small boats issue as a problem that needs to be solved, and we've always been open to a range of possible solutions."

They added: "The Tories like to compare Rwanda to the schemes tht other European countries are considering, but this is a false comparison because other European governments are looking at options around offshore processing, whereas the Rwanda scheme is about sending asylum seekers to another country permanently".

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Sunak's Government introduced new emergency legislation this month in an attempt to address the Supreme Court's issues with the plan.

While the Bill passed its second reading with a majority of 44 - by 313 votes to 269 - a significant number of MPs abstained due to concerns over the legislation.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill looks to address concerns expressed in last month's Supreme Court ruling by declaring Rwanda is a safe country to send asylum seekers to.

It also stops flights being grounded for legal reasons by allowing ministers to disapply sections of the Human Rights Act.

The right wing of the party wants the legislation to go further to stop obstacles arising.

However, Home Secretary James Cleverly has suggested the legislation already "pushed at the edge of the envelope" on international law.

Rwanda also told Sunak it will withdraw from the treaty if the UK were to breach its "international obligations".

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Reform UK to pose major unexpected threat at general election as pollster flags key strength 'to watch'

Reform UK could pose a bigger threat than initially expected at this year's upcoming election, pollster Sir John Curtice has warned.

He said it would be a "mistake" to see the party as only appealing to those concerned about migration, warning that they are likely to be a challenge to both the Conservative and Labour parties.

Curtice said: "I think it's a mistake to think of Reform as just picking up people who are concerned about immigration.

"Reform is also picking up the people who aren't happy about the health service, who are unhappy about the economy, who are also thinking that Brexit has not been implemented properly.

“It's acting as a vehicle for protests for 2019 Tory voters who couldn't contemplate voting even for a Keir Starmer Labour Party, let alone Jeremy Corbyn.

"So they are potentially competition to both Labour and the Tories, picking up Tory votes that might perhaps otherwise go to Labour, but that's something to watch.

"They're now at a record high and they are virtually all Leave voters.

"It's a very, very distinct constituency."

Reform has confirmed that it will stand a candidate to challenge the Conservative Party in every single seat.

But speakinng to the Daily Express about Reform's appeal to voters, Curtice claimed that immigration is "irrelevant".

He said: "I’ve actually been through all the polls so far this month. As many 2019 Tory voters are now defecting to Reform as they are defecting to Labour, perhaps partly to do with immigration.

"Hitherto I've been able to say immigration is irrelevant, the Government's just pushing that button, and that this is not related to whether or not they're losing support.

"There are some signs that maybe that's no longer true, and that's to the Government’s disadvantage because so many people think immigration has gone up.

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"If what they've managed to do is to raise the profile of immigration in voters’ minds, it is to the Government's disadvantage.

"I’m not sure about that, I'd want to see more evidence but there is some evidence that suggests maybe Reform are picking some of these folks up."

Just last week, Rishi Sunak confirmed that he will call an election in 2024.

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Labour 'new shops bonus' aims to tackle American candy stores on UK high streets

Labour has vowed to tackle rogue American candy stores - and has urged the government to help restore the British high street.

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Will London’s Ulez expansion be scrapped in 2024? We can only all hope - analysis by Howard Cox

There can’t ever have been a more despised scheme in modern road user political history, than the putting into practice of the odious Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez). This senseless venture came into effect on April 8, 2019, and was expanded even further on October 25, 2021, to cover the area bounded by central London’s ring roads, the North and South Circulars.

And on August 29, Sadiq Khan unilaterally, ignoring two out of three in a public consultation against it, added this needless purely money-grabbing project right across Greater London. It now covers an area of 607 square miles containing a population of over nine million people.

Greater London's 9,000 miles of roads are critical to the UK economy because 80 per cent of journeys in the capital take place on the roads. No doubt the millions of extra wallets in this expanded territory were too good to be true, for a financially bungling Mayor to ignore. He needs the extra dosh to pay off his self-generated £14billion of debt.

Let’s be clear though. All drivers want outstanding air quality and the cleanest of environments, but not by hitting the lowest income drivers and small businesses, hardest. These deep-seated honest sentiments from hard-working taxpayers, who have no choice but to use their vehicles, continue to be ignored by myopic green supporters of an emotional Greta Thunberg and an ego-driven arrogant Sadiq Khan.

The falsehoods, that both virtue signallers sermonise to their easy-to-fool cult followers, ignore scientific facts. They rely on sinister indoctrinations to implement their punitive mantras and policies.

Fact! The use of the internal combustion engine here in the UK is not destroying the planet or killing thousands of people. And for the record out of the top 110 cities in the world, our capital city is the 14th cleanest in terms of air quality (source IQAir.com). And to put this into true perspective Rome is 88th, Munich 72nd, Madrid 64th and Paris 49th.

Under the current Government, air quality on most measures has continued to improve, dramatically so. In 2022, for example, the average number of hours when Particulate Matter (PM2.5) concentrations was 'high' at roadside monitoring sites was five, compared with nine in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 and 28 in 2012. And the air quality in London continues to improve, but not because of Ulez.

And in TfL’s underground rail network, polluted air averages at least 2,000 percent worse than at roadside levels. Worryingly passengers and staff are being put at risk, because of little, if any, preventative measures in place to reduce the contamination of the air we breathe in the Tube.

It sticks in my craw, how Sir Keir Starmer allows the current Mayor of London to remain as a member of the Labour Party. The likely next Prime Minister has allowed Sadiq Khan to use lie after lie to implement policies that are hurting the very people Labour purports to represent.

Khan was found to have lied about Ulez on several occasions: For example, he misled the public about the “benefits” of Ulez in radio and newspaper advertisements, a draft report leaked to The Sunday Telegraph. The Advertising Standards Authority found two of his adverts were “misleading” because they “did not clarify” claims NO2 levels had “reduced by nearly half” as a result of Ulez and were based on “estimates or modelled scenarios” and not “actual figures”.

He claims that 4,000 people die each year from poor air quality. The science however clearly states that there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal link between exposure to air pollution and mortality. There is only one death certificate in the last decade in London that records a sad death due to air pollution.

Khan claims the original Ulez zone covering central London has reduced nitrogen dioxide pollution by 29 per cent. The Imperial College report that has received £800,000 worth of funding from taxpayers via the Mayor, reviewed the methodology of Khan’s data. These well-financed academics say Ulez had reduced nitrogen dioxide by a mere three per cent and had a negligible effect on particulate pollution. They concluded 'Ulez on its own is not an effective strategy in the sense that the marginal causal effects were small'. Don’t forget TfL had already shown that expanding Ulez to Greater London would make a negligible difference to air quality.

There are so many other examples that show Sadiq Khan is not fit for office and how disturbingly, the Tory opposition has allowed this dictator to get away with destroying the economic and social fabric of our proud Capital city for nearly eight years. Shamefully, it was Noel Willcox, a small businessman that got a court of law to prove existing LEZ and Ulez signs are unlawful. The Conservatives in City Hall talk a good game but have done nothing to prevent the damage caused by the Labour Mayor. A few visits to a Judge could have made the difference.

The existing Ulez has a massive negative impact on the London economy too. According to the Cebr, the total Ulez scheme cost to London’s GDP is circa £807million per year. Moreover, these calculations only estimate the direct effects. The commercial and economic cost to London of Ulez is more than dire, it is catastrophic. How has the Treasury let this happen?

The Next Mayor of London, which many hope is yours truly, will have to balance billions of debts with pragmatic policies that will get London prosperous, safer, and moving again. A tall order of tasks that frankly I, as Reform UK’s candidate, will not shy away from. But all Londoners must have the courage to vote for real change and not succumb to more of the same by voting for Labour or Tory in London. That is the risk, being scared to vote for real change that will benefit all Londoners, not just the privileged elite.

Howard Cox - Reform UK’s London Mayoral Candidate and Founder of FairFuelUK.

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European Union blasted for 'undermining sense of nationhood' as migration spirals

The EU has been criticised for "undermining" a sense of "nationhood" within its member nations.

Former MEP Ben Habib said that spiralling migration in the EU could lead to the end of the union, as a result of countries reimposing border checks.

As many as 11 EU countries have rebelled against EU policies on border checks in the face of growing concerns about illegal migration.

Former MEP Ben Habib said the new checks might signal the end of EU freedom of movement, adding: "the realisation that it is deeply damaging will also spell the end of the EU".

Countries including France, Slovakia, Sweden and Germany have re-instated border restrictions including identity vetting, passport checks, police interviews, static checkpoints and vehicle inspections.

Such restrictions on movement were abandoned many years ago as part of the Schengen Treaty.

Speaking to GB News about the new border controls, former MEP Ben Habib said: "The removal of borders in Europe with the creation of the Schengen zone was daft.

"The EU sought to remove countries’ borders to undermine the sense of nationhood across Europe and enhance its own relative importance and control.

"What it created was, amongst other things, a massive security risk.

"Western nations and their borders exist generally as a result of a social construct which took hundreds of years to settle. Their removal exposed these countries.

Recently, the Schengen zone has reminded us how important it is to have borders.

"330,000 illegal migrants entered the EU last year. Once in Europe, because of the Schengen zone, they could travel wherever they liked.

"It is because of the Schengen zone that it is so difficult to monitor movement and people smugglers."

He added: "Thank goodness a handful of countries, including France, have reinstated border checks. There is now hope illegal migration might be checked.

"There is now also hope that the idiocy of ever closer union under the jackboot of Brussels will be seen for the threat it poses to European nations and our security.

"Freedom of movement is a fundamental pillar of the EU. With any luck, the realisation that it is deeply damaging will also spell the end of the EU."

Earlier this year, Italy escalated its internal border checks with neighbouring Slovenia as part of an attempt to reduce the "increased threat of violence within the EU", which the country believes has escalated since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Italy said the changes were necessary as a result of the growing risk of terrorists arriving due to "constant migratory pressure from land and sea".

In the wake of Italy's border checks, Slovenia did the same with its borders with Hungary and Croatia, claiming it faces the same issues as Italy.

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Slovenia also claimed to be facing "threats to public order and internal security".

Meanwhile, Sweden has warned it is conducting checks at all its border points to combat terrorism.

Andrej Plenkovic, the prime minister of Croatia, backed the move by other European countries.

He said: "The EU is surrounded by a series of very big crises... bigger than any time in the past 30 years. bb

"We have Putin's aggression against Ukraine, Hamas's attack on Israel, all this in the context of intensified flows of illegal migration."

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Things may be bad, but there are reasons to be cheerful in 2024 | Adam Boulton

If you think this has been a pretty tough year, you are not alone.

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Christmas offers 'promise of a brighter future', Sunak says - as party leaders deliver messages

Rishi Sunak has urged people to focus on "the promise of a brighter future" - as party leaders delivered their Christmas messages.

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Home secretary apologises after joking about spiking his wife's drink

James Cleverly has apologised after joking about putting a date rape drug in his wife's drink in comments made at a Downing Street reception within hours of the Home Office announcing plans to crack down on spiking.

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Tory right criticise Sunak's 'weakness' over family visa salary threshold 'delay'

Rishi Sunak is under fire from his own MPs after rowing back on plans to lift the salary threshold for a family visa – with some Tories accusing him of “weakness”.

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Biden accused of wasting US energy potential as '3 million barrels wasted every day'

Joe Biden has been blamed for wasting "3 million barrels of oil every day" as a US economist blasts the federal government.

Expert Casey B. Mulligan suggests at the beginning of the Biden administration oil production "went backwards."

Speaking to GB News, he said: "Before the pandemic we jumped into the leading country in the world, believe it or not, we had really had dramatic change in the industry, a lot of discoveries.

"Not just finding new resources but figuring out how to get them out of the ground into the consumers hands cheaply.

"We were progressing very strong and that everyone expected that progress to continue.

"But then beginning in the Biden administration, we actually went backward with with our production and we really failed to go forward.

"I believe only last month or maybe two months ago, we were able to even get even where we were four years ago and we really were marching ahead at such a fast pace, we should be way ahead of that.

"So by our estimates, we're missing maybe 3,000,000 barrels every day, 365 days a year because of that lack of production.

"And we think that has a lot to do with there's a lot of regulations coming out of the federal government. There's also even the federal government acknowledges this.

He added: "The ESG movement, which the government has definitely greased the wheels for, meaning making it hard for investors to invest in promising energy companies and in companies have trouble financing their new research, their new production plans.

"And then there's a serious concern that taxes on businesses are going to go up.

"And that's a very big deal for oil companies."

A report by Mulligan and Stephen Moore revealed that Biden's "anti-American" policy is set to cost the country roughly $100 billion a year for as long as the Democratic president's policies continue.

An investigation has revealed that Biden’s new anti-energy policies, “Environmental, Social and Governance” (ESG) and rising business tax rates means US oil production has fallen 1-5 million daily barrels short of previous trends.

The experts suggest that in comparison, President Trump’s regulatory and tax policies would have allowed US oil and gas industries to produce more, at lower cost per barrel and cubic foot of gas.

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