Rebel Tories not expecting to secure major changes to Rwanda bill

Tory MPs plotting the Rwanda rebellion are resigned to securing minimal changes to the legislation - despite some belief senior figures are poised to quit party roles over the bill.

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The Week... the Post Office delivers answers

Two of Westminster's best-connected journalists, Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard, guide us through their predictions of how British politics will play out over the next seven days.

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'Absolutely bananas': Ashley St Clair blasts Biden’s 'plan to allow non-citizens to vote in elections'

Ashley St Clair has blasted US President Joe Biden's "plan to allow non-citizens to vote in elections" as "absolutely bananas" in a chat with GB America.

The journalist and broadcaster spoke to Mark Dolan about the migrant crisis in the US after it was revealed that more than two million people crossed the US-Mexico border in 2023.

Biden has previously said he "cannot stop" migrants crossing into the United States, but requires all those who wish to enter "to do so under US law".

Speaking to Mark Dolan, Ashley said: "If you look at the record of Donald Trump, this is very administration specific.

"We did not see this issue this severe under either Obama or President Trump. As most people know, President Trump has a very hard-line stance on immigration, as he should in my opinion.

"This is still at the forefront of his policy for his 2024 run. Most candidates care about this.

"But for some reason, the Biden administration seems to be wanting to import these people who, on record and on-camera, have said they love Joe Biden and they would vote for Joe Biden.

"We have bills all across the United States attempting to be passed. One was passed here in New York and then struck down by a higher court to allow noncitizens to vote in our local elections.

"There are some areas where they're trying to pass bills to allow them to vote in federal elections. It is absolutely bananas."

US Customs and Border Protection said they will continue to prioritize border security "as necessary".

​St Clair said of the impact on the November 5 election: "This is the top issue for the Republicans in America. I don't know if I'm hopeful that they're going to do anything substantial.

"We need to hold the Biden administration accountable because this is a very administration-specific issue. They are allowing anybody who comes here and claims asylum to stay here."

St Clair also revealed that some asylum seekers are being given court dates for their claims dating forward to 2030 and later.

Sharing her thoughts on the efforts of border security, St Clair said: "We do not have the infrastructure for this.

If you go down to any of the border states or what they call sanctuary cities here now, like New York City, they are completely overwhelmed.

"Our hospitals are overwhelmed. They are now using high schools to house illegal migrants who come here because there's nowhere else to put them."

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Post Office scandal sparks calls to end 'failed outsourcing' of public contracts

Ministers are "failing to act" on the lessons from the Post Office scandal by refusing to change laws around public contracts, union leaders have said.

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'There's a lot of nastiness in British politics': Benedict Spence claims he can see attack ads 'creeping through'

Political commentator Benedict Spence slammed the "nastiness in Britsh politics" and said he can "see the Trump effect creeping through."

He said: "I hope we turn our backs on it because although Trump is obviously a very effective politician, we know that he says terrible things."

Watch the above clip for more

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Asylum seekers 'given court dates in 2030’: Staggering TRUTH as Ashley St Clair says immigration is 2024 issue

The US border force efforts have been criticised by Ashley St. Clair, as it has been revealed that asylum seekers entering the United States may have to wait ten years for their claims to be heard.

In December 2023 alone, over 230,000 people crossed the US-Mexico border illegally, adding increasing pressure for US President Joe Biden.

This month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection claimed the numbers of illegal migrants making the journey has declined, and have begun to reopen four of their currently closed checkpoints.

The legal borders in Texas, Arizona and California will reopen again, as forces say they will prioritise security "as necessary".

US President Joe Biden told media this week that his administration "must be given money he needs to protect the border".

The demand comes as Border Force teams struggled to process nearly 11,000 asylum claims in a single day in December last year.

Appearing on GB News, author and broadcaster Ashley St Clair said the US migration surge is a "global issue", and accused Biden's administration of having an "open border to the world".

St. Clair added that the growing pressure on Biden to get on top of illegal border crossings could be "divisive" for the upcoming US Presidential election.

St. Clair told host Mark Dolan: "We need to hold the Biden administration accountable, because this is a very administration specific issue.

"They are allowing anybody who comes here and claims asylum to stay here, and some of these individuals don't have court dates to even vet their asylum claims until the 2030s mark."

St. Clair added: "This is the top issue for the Republicans".

Mark asked St. Clair for her thoughts on the left's view that "America needs cheap labour and young people", to which she accused the left of being "racist".

St. Clair explained: "I would say that's probably racist to say that the only thing immigrants are good for is cheap labour.

"If you go down to any of the border states or what they call sanctuary cities here now, like New York City, they are completely overwhelmed. We do not have the infrastructure for it."

She continued: "High schools are now housing illegal migrants because there's nowhere else to put them. We're spending a billion dollars over the course of the next three years to house them in hotels."

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Cabinet thought to be due to discuss UK and US military action against Yemen's Houthi fighters

Rishi Sunak is due to hold a full cabinet call this evening which is thought to be about UK and US military strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels.

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Trump’s election camp accused of SEXISM for targeting Nikki Haley: ‘Tearing her apart!'

Donald Trump's election camp has been accused of "targeting" candidate Nikki Haley by a former Republican Party chair.

Jennifer Nassour, campaign lead for Haley, claimed the team of the former US President were demonstrating "sexism" against her.

During the CNN Republican Presidential Debate on Wednesday night, Haley suggested Trump had been a "dictator" when leading the United States.

She told the crowd in Iowa that the next elected President will need to have "moral clarity".

Trump had previously attempted to smear Haley's campaign, by taking to social media to share a post claiming that the Republican candidate is "not eligible" to run because "her parents were not US citizens at the time of her birth in 1972".

Harvard professor Laurence Tribe has hit back at the allegations, stating they are "baseless".

Speaking to GB News, Jennifer Nassour slammed the falsehoods put forward by Trump's team and shut down reports that Haley is planning to be a "running mate" for the former President.

She stated that Haley is "not running to be second place", but is running to "be the President of the United States".

Nassour said of the Trump campaign: "I think those rumours are being circulated by the Trump campaign because at the end of the day, they're trying to tear her apart.

"They're trying to bring her down and degrade her because she is a woman.

"Nikki Haley is not running because she's a woman. She's running because she's the most qualified and competent candidate out there."

She added: "She has experience, she can do the job. And I think those rumours are really terrible and nasty rumours. They're trying to degrade her."

Host Patrick Christys quizzed Nassour on the "sexist" agenda of this year's US election amid the false allegations made by the Trump camp, and pressed the campaign leader on why she believes Haley would make a great first female President.

Nassour responded: "She is experienced, she is educated, she is so brilliant. If you ever got into a room and saw her, there is not a single question that she wouldn't answer."

She added that her "biggest fear" would be Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the first female leader.

Nassour said she would "never want to see" Kamala Harris be the president of the United States.

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Councillor spotted sewing during meeting

A Dundee councillor has been spotted sewing during a meeting being streamed online.

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Mass exoneration of sub-postmasters 'right thing to do' despite concerns over judicial independence, says minister

The UK's postal services minister says the government is set to push ahead with legislation to mass exonerate people wrongly convicted in the Post Office Horizon scandal, despite concerns it will interfere with judicial independence.

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Migration surge is being felt by communities across UK - voters are furious, says Adam Cherry

Anybody who doesn’t believe immigration will be a top priority for voters at this year's General Election need only spend a few hours outside central London for a reality check.

The Tories know this – Rishi has splashed ‘Stop the Boats’ all over his lectern to show how serious he is – but it may well be far, far too late.

Last week I visited Farnborough, just outside the M25. It has a population of just under 60,000, and in 2021 was declared one of the top ten 'property supply shortage hotspots' by Rightmove.

Yet in the last few weeks, the Home Office quietly took over an entire multi-million-pound apartment complex to house what was expected to be around 300 asylum seekers from the end of the month.

The one, two and three bedroom flats, worth £1,400PCM each, were taken off the market indefinitely at the start of the year, with residents in the adjacent building only informed after the Home Office had already made up its mind.

Despite the Conservative-led Rushmoor Borough Council’s objections, it was seemingly too late. “The Home Office is the Home Office," as one Councillor put it.

A Home Office spokesperson sent GB News a boilerplate comment: “We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country over recent years.

“We continue to work across Government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options to reduce the unacceptable use of hotels which cost £8million a day.”

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In this case, the best option appeared to be snatching hundreds of brand-new apartments without really telling anybody; an inevitable consequence of seeing net migration rise to over 700,000 a year while building around 200,000 houses. It is a problem of their own making.

Furniture and bedding had already arrived at the premises when we arrived. The residents in the nearby apartment block were furious, and the Conservative Councillors representing the ward told me that while they “firmly believed that the properties in Rushmoor should be for the local people at the moment”, they were effectively powerless to stop it.

The Home Office knew this would be unpopular. That’s why, except for the residents in the adjacent block, the local community was kept in the dark. Those we spoke to last week said they were unaware of the plan – and when they found out, it was obvious why the Government had been so coy. The anger was palpable.

We covered the story on the channel last Thursday, showing viewers the plush interiors of the flats, the reactions from the indignant locals, and the constituency staff of Leo Docherty MP refusing to open the door to us when we paid a visit (we tried calling first, to no avail). As Farnborough resident Chris Wilson told us, it looked like we were witnessing a “fait accompli”.

Yesterday, however, a source called with a breaking update: the entire plan was about to be “paused” with immediate effect. Sure enough, half an hour later Docherty released a statement: “Following my meeting with the Home Secretary last night, I have just received an update from him confirming a pause in the plans to place asylum seekers in Pinehurst Hill Side, Farnborough.

“I am very grateful indeed to the Home Secretary for listening to my concerns, as well as those of Rushmoor Borough Council and local residents.”

Just five days after our story, the Home Office has – for now – pulled the plug. Whether this is a permanent move or not remains to be seen.

After all, this isn’t the first time luxury accommodation has been earmarked for Home Office use, and net migration is still sky-high. It is something of an intractable whack-a-mole problem for the Government – but with less than a year to go before the next General Election, they are running out of time to solve it.

“The Home Office is the Home Office” isn’t going to cut the mustard when voters head to the polls.

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Police chiefs accuse 'significant political figures' of improper interference

Police chiefs have accused senior politicians of regularly trying to "interfere or influence" their operations. 

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Post Office convictions could be quashed as 'early as tomorrow' as Sunak urged to act

Former post workers could have their convictions revoked as "early as tomorrow", two former lord chancellors have suggested.

It is hoped that the remaining 750 Post Office convictions will now be overturned four years after the scandal was exposed as Rishi Sunak faces calls to act.

The scandal sparked public outcry after a television drama revealed the true damage the incident had left former postmasters and mistresses in.

It led Alex Chalk, the current lord chancellor, to meet Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake to discuss legal options to resolve the issue.

Legal possibilities included passing legislation which would automatically cancel convictions or a move to prevent the Post Office from opposing appeals.

"We should recognise these exceptional circumstances by asking parliament to pass legislation … Such legislation would help to right a clear wrong," Sir Robert Buckland, Chalk’s predecessor told The Times.

"Too many sub-postmasters have already died without seeing justice being done, so there is no more time to be lost."

Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the justice secretary under Tony Blair, added: "The Government could introduce that [legislation] tomorrow and there would be no resistance in parliament.

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"It’s an absolutely shocking scandal that’s been there for years and years, and now it’s at the top of the political agenda. Everyone agrees it will take years to get rid of those other convictions unless there is a change in procedure."

The Horizon IT scandal led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.

Earlier today, former Post Office boss Paula Vennells said she will hand back her CBE with immediate effect.

In 2021, the first judgment in the Court of Appeal was handed down - which dismissed 39 convictions - and it was hoped hundreds of others would follow.

However, many sub-postmasters said they have not come forward because they are too traumatised or elderly to take on another three-year fight, or that they do not trust the courts.

Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom, who has campaigned on behalf of postmasters for 15 years, said: "Any Government going into a general election with this hanging over them would be suicidal.

"I can’t see another way of dealing with the issue as quickly as it needs to be dealt with."

Have you been affected by the Horizon IT scandal? If you'd like to share your story, get in touch with money@gbnews.uk

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Tory MP appeals for unity ahead of Rwanda bill's return to parliament

The deputy chair of the Conservatives' One Nation faction is appealing to his centrist colleagues to be "prepared to compromise" when the government's revamped Rwanda bill returns to parliament next week.

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‘Every veteran suicide is a tragedy’ Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs wants the military to feel ‘best version of themselves'

Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer has said that "every veteran suicide is a tragedy" after being asked if he was "embarrassed" by the latest figures that showed that 60 per cent of veterans found it difficult to ask for help.

Mercer explained that he is "proud" of the progress in the past 20 years with people "coming forward and asking for help".

He said: "It's not an embarrassment. It's not where I want it to be.

"We work night and day in this place to try and make it easier to understand, easier to access, better joined up, so you don't have to go around and tell your story several times."

He added: "I think when I started a long time ago now it was a different concept coming forward and asking for help with your mental health than it is today.

"And we should be proud of that. The way it's changed both within the military but also outside the military.

"There is always more to do. And no one's going to sit there and say, look, we're completely happy with this progress.

"We're not going to sit on our laurels and say we're not going to do anymore.

"Every single veteran suicide is a tragedy, not only for the individual, for their family, but also us as a nation.

"People who leave the military, I want them to go away from that, completely boosted by their time in the military and the best version themselves.

"I don't want them going away from that in the states that some of them do.

"So we will keep driving down this hole until everybody knows about courage.

"Everyone knows that the programs that are there, they do work, you can get better and life can get back to normal."

He also discussed how the Junior Doctors strikes have affected veterans in England.

​He said: "This doctor's strike at the hardest time of year is something I profoundly disagree with.

"The Prime Minister has made clear his mission on inflation.

"We need to get this sorted out because actually when people aren't on strike those waiting lists are coming down and that's what people want to see from their Government."

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WATCH: 'I did absolutely nothing wrong' Trump vows to secure America's borders and 'free elections'

Former president of the United States Donald Trump has said that he did "absolutely nothing wrong" after his court appearance.

Trump's lawyers argued his criminal prosecution over attempts to overturn the 2020 election should be scrapped and he should be "immune" as he was president at time.

The ex-president also vowed to return to office and said that America should be "respected" like it "was 3 years ago."

You can watch the full news conference above

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Joe Biden speech hijacked by Palestine protesters as President heckled by activists

Pro-Palestinian protesters have interrupted President Joe Biden during his second campaign speech of the year.

Biden, 81, was addressing the audience at the Mother Emmanuel Church in South Carolina, when the protesters drowned him out with their calls for a ceasefire.

Biden then responded: "I understand they're passionate and I've been quietly working with the Israeli government to significantly reduce & get out of Gaza."

The President was speaking at the historically Black church in Charleston, where nine people were killed after a gunman opened fire on a Bible study group in 2015.

"If you really care about the lives lost here you should honor the lives lost and call for a ceasefire in Palestine," one protester yelled.

This triggered a repeated chant of "ceasefire now" before the protesters were then removed from the room.

As he restarted his speech, the President was interrupted again, this time by a supportive audience member.

He told the 81-year-old that he is a "good man", which was met with applause.

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The President's supporters then began chanting "four more years" in response.

The outburst at the speech comes after months of protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

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

Biden also attacked Trump's role during the January 6 Capitol attacks, which occurred three years ago to the day.

He called the 45th President a "loser" for failing to accept his loss in the 2020 election.

"There’s one thing they don’t have. They don’t have respect for the 81 million people who voted the other way, voted for my candidacy,” Biden said of Trump and his allies.

"In their world, these Americans, including you, don’t count, but that’s not the real world. That’s not democracy. That’s not America,” he said. Biden went on to argue that in the country, “losers are taught to concede when they lose. He’s a loser."

Biden also slammed Trump and his supporters' denialism of the 2020 election results was the "second Lost Cause" - the first Lost Cause being the Confederates' belief that their efforts in the American Civil War were heroic, and not just based on slavery.

"Now, we’re living in an era of a second Lost Cause,” Biden said.

"Once again, for some of this country trying, trying to turn a loss into a lie, a lie which, if allowed live, once again, (will) bring terrible damage to this country at this time. A lie that’s about the 2020 election."

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Three quarters of Britons think country in a worse state now than when Tories came to power

Three quarters of Britons think the UK is in a worse state now than when the Conservative Party came to power in 2010, according to a YouGov poll.

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