Graeme McCormick pulls out of SNP leadership race paving way for John Swinney

Graeme McCormick has pulled out of the race to become SNP leader and instead endorsed rival John Swinney as Scotland's next first minister.

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Sunak rides out leadership challenge - but faces 'exhausted and broken' Tory party when Parliament returns

Rishi Sunak's internal critics have abandoned their attempt to unseat him because they have run out of time and do not believe Penny Mordaunt would do what is necessary to save the party.

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West Midlands defeat for Tories fires starting gun on future of the party

Andy Street's interview with Sky News fired the starting gun for discussion over the future direction of the Conservative Party.

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Who is the new West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker?

Richard Parker has pulled off a surprise victory in the West Midlands mayoral election.

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Conservative Andy Street suffers shock loss to Labour in West Midlands mayoral race in blow to Rishi Sunak

Tory incumbent Andy Street has suffered a shock defeat to Labour in the West Midlands mayoral election after a partial recount was ordered.

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Rwanda-bound migrants receive eight page pamphlet detailing 'what to expect' after relocation

Migrants heading to Rwanda are being given an eight-page leaflet from the Home Office, detailing “what to expect” after they are relocated.

The document, entitled: “I’m being relocated to Rwanda. What does it mean to me?”, describes the African Country as being “generally safe and secure”.

The pamphlet includes a map of Africa, pictures of capital Kigali, facts about the country, and a list of medical and legal rights they are entitled to.

More than 100 people have been detained and taken to removal centres across the UK, with 20 already instructing lawyers to mount challenges to their removal.

Asylum Aid, a refugee charity, has criticised the Government and said they will try and take ministers to court over the deportations.

Over half of those detained are being stationed at Colnbrook immigration removal centre at Heathrow airport, whilst the others are split between Brook House at Gatwick and Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire.

The booklet, which was obtained by The Times, claims that Rwanda has a stellar record of helping asylum seekers and reassures people that their claims will be processed following UN Refugee Convention, Rwandan national and international laws.

It said: “If you feel that Rwanda is not safe for you personally, you must notify us immediately in writing or in person and explain why.”

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Migrants will be given free accommodation, food, healthcare and help to integrate into the local community, and upon arrival will be given a briefing on the asylum process.

The leaflet also explains that migrants will be given support to return home, however, the terms of the treaty, which was finally ratified last week, state that no one can be forcibly removed to a third country.

Asylum Aid says it is worried that the policy could lead to the Home Office unlawfully denying people seeking asylum from entering the UK, and that the supposed inconsistency could lead to the Government department refusing to consider evidence of individual risk.

The charity's executive director, Alison Pickup, said: “There is a lack of information on when flights to Rwanda will take off and who will be on them, but the Government has made clear that it is determined to act quickly as we have already seen the Home Office carrying out forcible detentions.

“The panic this causes is made worse by the limited capacity to provide high quality legal representation in the legal aid and charity sector.

“We have brought forward this legal action to ensure that the Home Office properly considers any individual cases against removal to Rwanda, including on the grounds that they would be returned from Rwanda to the place they fled.”

It comes after the Rwanda Bill became law last week, when it was finally granted Royal Assent in the House of Lords.

The announcement has triggered the formal start of the plan to fly illegally arrived migrants to Rwanda, with flights being expected to take off in 10 to 12 weeks.

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Labour win in new East Midlands authority

Labour continues its run of victories in the local elections, adding the East Midlands to its list of successes.

Claire Ward was elected with 181,040 votes, 51,708 more than Conservative candidate Ben Bradley MP, making up a healthy 40 per cent share from across the region.

Speaking at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, the former Watford MP said “We have been left behind.

“When people think about the Midlands they often think about the West Midlands.

“I’m here now to make sure we put the East Midlands firmly on the map.”

She added the country is “ready for change” as it puts trust in a “changed Labour party”.

The new authority is made up of 17 councils from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, including the two cities, Derby and Nottingham, bringing new powers and funding to the region.

Around £4billion has been earmarked for the fledgling authority, in which the mayor will have greater control over transport, education, and housing.

Claire Ward said: “I will be making sure that each of those areas feel the benefit of having the power and funding from Westminster.”

“It’s clear that we know our region better than people in Whitehall and Westminster, so we need to have the decision-making power along with the funding so we can make those priorities, not competing with other projects in other cities.”

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The new Mayor stated that the region is home to key battleground constituencies, primarily in the Red Wall where Labour voters abandoned the party in 2019 in favour of the Conservatives under Boris Johnson.

Green candidate, Frank Adlington-Stringer narrowly beat Reform’s candidate, Alan Graves, by 1,465, to claim third place.

Independent, Matt Relf, and, Liberal Democrat, Helen Louise Tamblyn-Saville followed in fifth and sixth place respectively.

Turnout across the region was below a third of the electorate, just 27.6 per cent of the 1,637,644 electorate.

Some local people claimed they didn’t know about the election or what they were voting for.

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Houchen's win in Tees Valley not necessarily a comfort to local Tory MPs

In the days running up to the elections, Number 10 was verging on the unsubtle. 

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'Stars could not be more aligned against us': Senior Tories predict loss in Blackpool by-election

Senior Tories are predicting they will lose the Blackpool South by-election as counting gets under way.

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Boris Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting photo ID

Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station this evening after forgetting to bring photo ID.

The legislation requiring voters to bring a form of identification to vote was introduced by Johnson himself.

The former prime minister had been trying to cast his vote in the local elections in South Oxfordshire earlier today.

Elections are taking place in 107 local authorities across the UK, with 2,636 seats being contested.

Speaking about the new legislation in 2021, Johnson said: “What we want to do is protect democracy, the transparency and the integrity of the electoral process.

"And I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask first-time voters to produce some evidence of identity.”

The Elections Act came into effect in 2022.

Tory MP for Ipswich Tom Hunt was forced to ask local members to act as his "emergency proxy" after he found out he had no appropriate ID to vote in the elections.

In a Whatsapp conversation seen by ITV, Hunt asked for help from members after what he dubbed a “bit of drama”, saying: “Turns out I have no appropriate ID to vote tomorrow”.

He added: "However. There is an emergency proxy option if you lose your ID. Deadline tomorrow. Who would like to do the honours?"

The Electoral Commission warned that the new voting regulations would make it harder for people to vote.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan claimed the restrictions were "designed to rig the next election" by stopping younger and marginalised people from casting their votes.

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The Conservative Party is braced for a bruising night tonight, with the party trailing more than 20 points behind Labour in the polls.

The Tories could lose up to half of the 1,000 council seats they are defending.

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Vote counting under way in local elections across England and Wales - what to expect

Vote counting is under way after polls closed in local elections taking place across England and Wales.

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Labour 'reported to police' for alleged breach of election law just hours before crunch poll

A Labour council group has been reported to the police by the Tories over allegedly "misleading" campaign literature, Conservative MP Ben Everitt told GB News.

The MP for Milton Keynes claimed the campaign literature, which relates to the failure to open a new GP surgery, "breaches election law".

The complaint comes just one day before voters go to the polls in the local elections. The Tories are gearing up for a bruising result, with the party trailing more than 20 points behind Labour.

The original leaflet, which Everitt said came from the Labour Party, said that a bid by a local GP surgery in Olney for cash to submit a planning application to expand their surgery was "refused by local NHS bosses because they have not been given the funding by the Conservative government to build the new facilities".

But the Tories claimed that it was Milton Keynes Council – of which Labour is the largest party - that stopped the development. Writing to Thames Valley Police, Everitt said: "I am writing to you to raise significant concerns regarding the conduct of the Milton Keynes Council Labour Party Group in this week’s local elections campaign.

"The Labour Group has been actively telling residents and the media that the proposals for the GP surgery in Olney were refused because the Conservative government failed to release the necessary funds.

"However recent revelations have revealed this to be a demonstrably false claim.

"Emails have now come to light that demonstrate that it was Milton Keynes Council that stopped the development, by advising against applying for planning permission."

He added: "The decision not to progress the new surgery was made at a meeting of the region’s Primary Care Delivery Group, which is part of the Integrated Care Board. Milton Keynes Council had delivered advice to that meeting which was to not proceed with the surgery, leading to such an outcome at ICB level.

"Milton Keynes Council received a letter from the ICB confirming the decision not to apply for planning permission, based on their advice, on April 11. They then choose, out of political motivation, to not release that letter until today, the day before polling day for the 2024 Local Elections."

But a Labour spokesperson rejected the allegations, accusing the Milton Keynes Conservatives of having "clearly misunderstood" the situation.

They said: "They are being rightly accused of, and held to account for, consistently failing to deliver the necessary funding for new infrastructure in Milton Keynes.

"Rather than wasting valuable police time and resources, the Conservatives should apologise to the people of Milton Keynes for letting them down for the last two decades."

Everitt told GB News: "It's just so frustrating that yet again the Labour Party in Milton Keynes is putting politics before people.

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"There's only so much I can do in Westminster if the blockage is local Labour politicians playing political games with people's services.

"I wish they'd just let me do my job for the people of Milton Keynes.

This is about getting people the services they deserve."

Thames Valley Police have been contacted for comment.

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UK judges will still rule in favour of ECHR despite Rwanda act, claims Farage

Nigel Farage has said the government deserves some credit for deporting illegal migrants from the country but said he believes the government is still in ‘desperate trouble’.

Farage also said he believed the trouble would now just start for the government and predicted that judges would rule in favour of international agreements such as the ECHR rather than the Safety of Rwanda Act.

Speaking on GB News, Nigel Farage said: “Just to get a sense of perspective on this: this is somebody who illegally came to Britain, wasn't granted asylum which is unusual of itself, and is then given £3000 of taxpayers money to voluntarily board a plane to Rwanda, where he'll be able to live for five years without rent and in a country where three grand goes a long way.

“And it's ludicrous to link that the Rwanda plan that was set up by Boris Johnson two years ago.

“This government is in desperate trouble, dire trouble; predictions of perhaps, in this coming general election, the worst results ever, in their nearly 200 years of existence.

“And Sunak knows this issue of people illegally crossing our borders and being allowed to stay is driving voters, particularly the red wall, mad. So the fact that today they've started rounding up a few people and detaining them, on the face of it, you have to give them credit for.

“I mean, several years too late, but on the face of it, let's give them credit.

“I suspect this is where the problems are just beginning. We will see all sorts of other people on that list simply disappear off into the community and be virtually impossible to find.

“And for those that we do have in detention and plan to take care of and that is when the lawyers and the judges will kick in. We are still signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights. We've incorporated it into British law by the Human Rights Act. And whatever the Rwanda Act says, in terms of it taking supremacy over the Human Rights Act, I would tell you that when this comes to court, British judges will rule in favour of our international agreements.

“So it's all well and good, sounding tough, but can you actually deliver and I still really, really doubt it.

“It may well be that disapplying those sections of the Human Rights Act works in British law. But we are still a signatory to an international treaty via that court in Strasbourg, and I just don't see a Conservative Prime Minister overruling a judgment of that court.

“Do you know what, if he did, half of his own party would be in rebellion. Many, many Conservatives support us being part of that European convention. Now, if he does it, it'd be very brave and bold, but I believe that an international treaty is what will take precedence and I think our judges and ultimately, our Supreme Court would rule that way.

“Look, I hope I'm wrong. I'm sick to death how every month we see of these young men, undocumented young males of fighting age coming into our country about whom we know nothing of their backgrounds and their histories.

“I hope he can solve it. I just don't believe all the while we're part of that treaty, that it actually can happen and really, Brexit should have been about leaving this particular treaty as well. Sadly, it wasn't.

“I don't doubt amongst some of those that are crossing the English Channel, there are some genuinely fleeing persecution. But the wholesale abuse of our generosity, people pretending they're under 18 when they're in their 30s. People claiming to convert to Christianity from Islam, which of course we know they're not actually doing. People claiming they're gay, and therefore can't be sent back to the country that they claim to originally come from.

“The whole thing is a complete and utter racket. And I'd remind people since 2016, we have taken in half a million refugees. They've come from Hong Kong, they've come from Afghanistan, they’ve come back from Ukraine and elsewhere.

“It's not as if we’re not the most generous country out there because we are. What we cannot allow is for human traffickers to put people in danger is to cross the English Channel. 90% of them are male, 80% of them are very young males.

“This has got to stop and the only way we're going to stop it is by not being part of that European convention and by saying that nobody that comes via this route will ever be allowed to stay.

“That is what Tony Abbott, the Prime Minister of Australia did, back in 2013. Within two weeks, the boats stopped coming. That is the only way we're ever going to solve this and I believe that right from the start.”

WATCH ABOVE.

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Why people are calling for investigation into £200k Vaughan Gething donation

Calls for an investigation into a £200,000 donation to Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething have intensified in recent weeks.

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‘Sign of INSANITY!’ Michael Knowles rages at Joe Biden ‘removing women’s rights’ in sport

US President Joe Biden has been criticised for updating the Title IX rules, which now include protections for transgender individuals.

The Title IX legislation is a provision of the Civil Rights Act that gives women protection, specifically for sports and college sports, on the basis of sex.

Speaking to GBN America, Host at the Daily Wire Michael Knowles says Biden's update to Title IX "undermines the whole point of it", as it now allows individuals to be protected on the basis of sexual identity or gender identity.

In a discussion with host Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Knowles hit out at the "irony" and "insanity" of the changes, claiming that women "no longer have a right to their own sports leagues".

Knowles told Jacob: "If a man who calls himself a woman can now compete against women, women with the stroke of a pen have just lost their own sports leagues.

"This didn't come out of left field, but it does seem a little bit bizarre in an election year."

Noting similar changes by Biden to Title VII, a provision of the Civil Rights Act that pertains to employment, Knowles admitted that Title IX's changes were "probably going to happen for some years now".

Knowles also criticised the changes and claimed they "also undermine the kind of protections" put there in the first place.

Knowles fumed: "The rulings are a sign of insanity and absurdity."

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Knowles explained to GBN America: "We know that the vast majority of Americans oppose the radical trans ideology.

"The vast majority of Americans support protections for women that are traditional protections. So it seems as though it would hurt President Biden."

Knowles continued: "But once again, Biden is caught here in a trap. The donor and establishment class recognises that men can't really become women and recognises that women ought to have certain protections.

"But the base of his party doesn't recognise that at all."

Comparing Biden's stance on the transgender community to his stance on the Israel-Gaza war, Knowles claimed the US leader is "hoping to get his radicalism out of the way" before the Presidential election in November.

Knowles said: "Once again, as on the issue of the Israel-Gaza war, the donor and the establishment class supports one view, the base that actually gets out there, and they're the boots on the ground. They have a completely different view.

"And I think what President Biden is hoping is he can get all of these kinds of bits of radicalism out of the way early on, even before the summer, so that this will not become a major issue in November, but he will still be able to keep his leftist bona fides and not totally alienate his own base."

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EU set to 'follow Britain's lead' as manifesto plans to copy Rwanda-style asylum deportation deal

The EU will “follow Britain’s lead” after Ursula von der Leyen’s party has proposed Rwanda-style asylum deals with third countries.

The European Commissioner’s European People’s Party (EPP) has said it wants to “implement the concept of safe third countries”.

“Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there,” the manifesto said.

“We are committed to the fundamental right to asylum, but the EU, together with its member states, must have the right to decide whom and where it is granted.

“We will conclude agreements with third countries to ensure asylum seekers can also be granted protection in a civilised and safe way. We want to implement the concept of safe third countries.

“Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there. In case of a positive outcome, the safe third country will grant protection to the applicant on-site.”

Sunak wrote for The Mail on Sunday: “I said when I first became Prime Minister that others would recognise a meaningful deterrent is the only way to stop the boats ,and now even top parties in the EU are following our lead.“If Britain gains a global reputation for being tough on illegal migration, I am very comfortable with that. It is the right thing for our country. If Keir Starmer wants to be seen as a soft touch on securing our borders, he will soon learn the consequences of that.”

It comes after Rwanda Bill became law last week, when it was finally granted Royal Assent in the House of Lords.

The announcement has triggered the formal start of the plan to fly illegally arrived migrants to Rwanda, with flights being expected to take off in 10 to 12 weeks.

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Earlier this month, Sunak vowed to quit the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if Strasbourg continues to block attempts to get flights to Rwanda.

He said that controlling illegal migration is “more important” than membership of the ECHR, saying he would not let a “foreign court” interfere with a policy that is “fundamental to our sovereignty”.

Last week, experts at the United Nations warned that airlines flying asylum seekers to Rwanda risk breaching human rights laws.

The experts from the UN Human Rights Council issued a statement arguing that airlines should know the legal risk of deporting illegal immigrants.

“Even if the UK-Rwanda agreement and the ‘Safety of Rwanda’ bill are approved, airlines and aviation regulators could be complicit in violating internationally protected human rights and court orders by facilitating removals to Rwanda,” the statement said.

“If airlines and aviation authorities give effect to state decisions that violate human rights, they must be held responsible for their conduct.

“As the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights underline, aviation regulators, international organisations and business actors are required to respect human rights.”

Rishi Sunak’s ambition to implement the policy has been dealt a number of major blows in recent months, including from the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court cited similar risks as it ruled Rwanda was not a safe country in its judgment on the deportation policy last year.

However, the Prime Minister subsequently pushed through measures to ensure the refoulement threat no longer applied.

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'Get our country back!' Scots rejoice as Humza Yousaf resigns as First Minister: 'Raggedy road for the SNP'

Scottish residents have expressed their joy at Humza Yousaf's resignation, as the First Minister made his announcement today.

Holding a press conference at Bute House, Yousaf revealed he would be stepping down after 13 months in office, following the collapse of the power sharing deal with the Scottish Greens.

In a statement, Yousaf told reporters: "After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead, I have concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm.

"I have therefore informed the SNP’s national secretary of my intention to stand down as party leader and ask that she commences a leadership contest for my replacement as soon as possible."

Speaking to GB News reporter Tony McGuire, residents of Edinburgh backed the exit and said it was "brilliant news" that he was stepping down.

However, some residents defended Yousaf and said he had been "manoeuvred into a situation which doesn't account for the good, humane man that he is".

One man told Tony: "It's brilliant news. We want our country back and we can stop all these hate speech laws."

Another was in agreement, stating: "I think it's a very good thing. Scotland needs a First Minister that will take the country forward."

Others were in support of Yousaf and were saddened to see him announce his resignation.

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One voter told GB News: "I really feel that he's been manoeuvred into a situation which doesn't account for the good, humane man that he is."

Another backed Yousaf, claiming: "It's a dad situation for Humza, and it's bad for Scotland."

Upon speaking to other voters in Scotland, some were critical of the SNP as a whole party and hit out at the decision to end the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens.

An Edinburgh local told Tony: "Certainly the SNP have been leading in a raggedy road for the last seven to eight years."

One lady was critical of the Greens for "not supporting" Yousaf and claimed they had "betrayed" the SNP and the First Minister.

Another voter spoke in a similar vein, criticising both Scottish and the English Parliaments: "The Parliament, the Tories and Labour, all they can think of is grievances."

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UK will 'not take back asylum seekers from Ireland until France takes back Channel migrants'

The UK will not to take back asylum seekers who cross the border into Ireland "until the EU accepts that we can send them back to France", according to a government source.

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