Government approves three new solar farms that could power hundreds of thousands of homes

The government has approved three new solar farms, that could power more than 400,000 homes, according to estimates.

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Joe Biden warning as US president to impose 'major layer' of tax, claims ex-World Bank chief

An ex-World Bank chief has warned people that Joe Biden is planning to impose a "major layer" of tax hikes if elected at the November election.

According to the leader's 2025 budget, the tax changes Biden proposes fall under three main categories: additional taxes on high earners, higher taxes on US businesses and more tax credits for a variety of taxpayers and activities.

Speaking about this to Steven Edgington on GBN America, ex-World Bank chief David Malpass said: "I think Trump's concept of economic policy does benefit the country that was shown very clearly in 2017 and 2018, as the economy did very well.

"So repeating that would be good for Americans. And so what's the core of that? The regulations have to have to stop being so intensely promulgated there.

"There needs to be a step back. That's particularly true in energy. This is a giant potential resource for the United States, but not is not being utilized.

"Of course, President Biden will say we have record production of some kinds of energy, but that is not really the answer.

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"The question is, what could we be doing? And the reality is we could be producing a lot more energy, a lot more manufactured goods, a lot more across the board if there were better policies.

"So that's the core to have an economy that operates better through markets with more energy and more potential into the future, then we can turn to the taxes.

"President Biden is proposing major increases in taxes. Not only would he let the and cause the Trump tax rates to expire and go up, but then he would add a whole nother huge layer of taxation that discourages investment within the economy and discourages small businesses from hiring.

"They don't know what the tax environment will be. So I think it's a pretty clear differentiation of the two economic policies."

Speaking about whether mass migration is useful to the economy he added: "Finding a way to have controlled immigration where you're you're bringing in people that are needed by the economy, that people that can find a place within the economy that's useful and, and should be sought.

"Unfortunately, that's not at all what the policy has become. It's really been operating for 50 years, allowing access to people who don't have the skills to really benefit the economy.

"That's a minus for the economy. And I think there should be a fundamental change in the way we approach it."

The tax increases are part of Biden's election-year budget wish list.

It also includes new programs to assist low- and middle-income Americans with high housing and childcare costs and aims to cut the deficit.

Congress is likely to discard the proposals, but the document forms remain a central campaign message for Biden.

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Labour can blame the Conservatives for prisons crisis for now - but tough choices are coming

Shabana Mahmood, the new justice secretary, painted a bleak picture in her speech today, announcing that prisons are nearly full, and inmates will have to be let out early.

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‘Will only get worse!' Suella Braverman FUMES at Keir Starmer SCRAPPING Rwanda scheme

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has fumed over Labour's choice to scrap the Rwanda plan.

This comes after The Labour Party won the general election by a landslide last week and scrapped the Rwanda scheme just one day after coming to office.

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'The most anti-British president!' Joe Biden SLAMMED in scathing verdict from Nile Gardiner

Director of the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom, Nile Gardiner has slammed Joe Biden as "anti-British" in a scathing analysis of the US president.

The commentator said that he has "been on his best behaviour" as he spends time with the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MORE

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‘It’s almost comical!’ Gen Z rages at leftist ideas as youngsters turn backs on Biden: ‘Common sense isn’t so common’

A member of Gen Z has been left fuming as young people have "turned their backs on Biden" despite the fact that she "lost friends" after choosing to back the former President ahead of the US election in November.

Donald Trump is currently leading in the latest election polling across the US, following Joe Biden's disastrous performance in their head-to-head debate.

Speaking to GBN America, young voter Grace Guentzel opened up on her political journey having started out as a progressive Democrat, before switching her allegiance to Trump.

Sharing his thoughts on the "politics of the left", Patrick claimed that it has become a merged "hyper-woke agenda" that has issues "like LGBT really rammed down children's throats".

Noting Guentzel's particular views on transgender men competing in women's sports, Patrick asked her why issues such as that mean "so much to her".

She responded: "I think for me, it's just got exhausting. I feel like it's being shoved down people's throats and it's almost like it doesn't feel like they're pushing for equality now.

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"It feels like just they're kind of shoving this ideology down your throat, and it's almost gotten comical, the ideas that they're pushing.

"They don't even see the difference now between biological men and biological women. So I think that's kind of some of the big issues I have with it."

She also added: "Common sense isn't so common anymore."

Highlighting that her switch in political view has "lost her some friends" and caused friction with her family as a result, Guentzel told GBNA: "My family hasn't obviously liked it, but we just don't have those kinds of conversations.

When asked by host Patrick Christys about how she changed her support from the Democrats to the Republicans, Guentzel explained: "I was raised as a Democrat and surrounded myself with a lot of like-minded people in that respect.

"I was a fellow for Mission for Arizona, which was part of the Arizona Democrat campaign. But I went to college and eventually started to see opposing opinions, and I started to understand that there's a lot more outside of my own worldview."

When asked on what specifically drew her to the Republican policies, Guentzel said: "It was a lot of things, especially a lot of social issues.

"Abortion, the concept of letting biological men compete in women's competitions and sports, gun rights, and illegal immigration."

"With my peers, it's a little bit different because I feel like the left is less tolerant and unaccepting of people of opposing views, because I feel like when I was progressive, I was still welcomed by conservatives and people of that kind of political ideology.

"But I think since I've kind of become more conservative, I have been met with a lot more hostility by the left and obviously have lost some friends and things of that nature.

"But I guess it is what it is, I'm not going to lie and kind of hide my opinions."

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Tory leadership contenders argue in public over 'nervous breakdown' claims

Two of the contenders to become the next Conservative Party leader have started to bicker in public over leaks to a newspaper, which claimed one had accused the other of having a "very public" nervous breakdown.

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'I hadn't even resigned from my day job!' Reform MP reveals his SHOCK when elected as he vows to be a nuisance

Reform UK’s fifth MP James McMurdock has revealed that he did not expect to secure his seat in South Basildon and East Thurrock after being elected last week.

The Essex banker defined himself as an "on paper" candidate and "hadn't even quit his job" when he became an MP.

McMurdock won with a majority of just 98 votes after a nail-biting recount held on Friday afternoon.

Speaking on GB News host Martin Daubney said: "You scraped in by 98 votes, it probably came as a huge surprise to you. You were a paper candidate. So you didn't particularly campaign or you were surprised. In fact, I heard you hadn't even resigned from your job. Have you done so yet?"

McMurdock responded: "I have now yes." Speaking about how it felt to be elected he added: "From all the way from rock bottom, all the way to the absolute ceiling. The emotions have been phenomenal and fantastic.

"I mean, there are some analogies that I would really love to use, but I don't know if they're too whimsical given how serious the work we do is.

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"It has been extraordinary and I really, really feel quite empowered to get on with it. There's some really good people in my constituency that are desperate for this, so it's fantastic."

When asked about his plans he said: "To be a blooming big pest, if that's all we can be, but hopefully a lot more."

Fellow Reform MP Lee Anderson added: "It's not just five people though, there are over 4.1 million people in the country that's right behind us.

"That's about 800,000 people per MP. There are millions more that could have voted for us, that probably will vote for us in the next election. We are the voice of the silent majority in this country.

"Make no mistake about it. The People's Army is on the march and we're at the front line and we're going to fight for everything they stand for."

After overturning a 24,702 Tory majority to win by 8,405, Leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage said: "There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it."

Taking aim at Labour, the Reform UK leader warned: "What is interesting is, there's no enthusiasm for Labour, there's no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever.

"In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote. We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that."

His - and McMurdock's - victories in Essex contribute to a night of humiliation for the Conservatives in an area considered Tory heartland since the days of Margaret Thatcher.

Speaking after winning in Clacton-on-Sea, Farage said he plans to "build a mass national movement over the next few years", and "hopefully it'll be big enough to challenge the general election properly" in 2029.

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Hakluyt chief Chandra lined up for top Labour business role

The boss of Hakluyt, the corporate intelligence firm, is being lined up for a top business role in Sir Keir Starmer's fledgling Labour administration.

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'I don't think that Nigel can or should be part of the Conservative Party,' claims Former Tory Immigration Minister

Former Tory immigration minister Robert Jenrick has said that there is "no role" for Nigel Farage in the Tory party despite speculation that the Reform UK leader may deflect.

Speaking to GB News Jenrick said: "I respect Nigel. He and I share several things in common. We both believe in strong borders.

"But no, I don't think that Nigel can or should be part of the Conservative Party.

"He said that he doesn't want to join the party, said he wants to replace the Conservative Party.

"As long as that is his view, there can't be a role for him in the party.

"I will work with anyone who shares my determination to secure our borders and to hold an open borders Labour Party to account for everything they do."

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

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Britain's Muslims are mobilising: Mass religious-based voting is now a reality in the UK, warns Kelvin MacKenzie

What I found concerning about the General Election result was not that the country had turned against the Tories (who could blame them?) but how one religious group, Muslims, are now acting as a single political party.

That hasn’t happened before in our history. They don’t wear rosettes and I’ve never had a pamphlet from them through my door, but almost to a man and woman they voted collectively, based on the politics of a war more than 2,000 miles away.

In this election they had had no manifesto beyond Gaza. How many of their preferred candidates were critical of the terror group Hamas whose October 7 slaughter started the war?

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Instead, they owed their allegiance purely to religious and ethnic interests. And they had some spectacular gains.

Jeremy Corbyn took Islington North where 13% of the residents are Muslims. He focused much of his campaign on his support for Gaza. Clearly, he took many former Labour supporters with him, but it was his view on ‘’genocide’’ which won him the day.

The result that caught my eye was Iqbal Mohamed winning in Dewsbury and Batley. Standing an ‘’independent’’ he defeated Rachel Reeves adviser, Heather Iqbal, by an incredible 6,934 majority.

The reason I say incredible is that while he stood as an independent his “party” were, effectively, Muslims.

I am sure you will remember the scenes outside Batley Grammar school when the religious studies teacher showed a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed to his class and concerned parents protested outside the school.

Instead of the local Labour MP taking on the protesters she went silent on the issue. Nobody in authority has ever spoken up since for that teacher and his family.

Today he has changed his name, moved from the area with his wife and four children. All for showing a cartoon. How shocking is that in “free speech” Britain?

Having successfully got the teacher pushed out the Muslim community in Batley was emboldened and voted in one of their own as an MP last Thursday.

The trend behind this is fascinating and concerning (especially for Labour) in equal measure.

The Telegraph reported that in constituencies where in the 2021 census at least 40% were Muslim, the Labour vote share dropped by 33.9%. These areas were typically in Bradford, Birmingham and London.

Where Muslims were between 10-20% of the population Labour’s voting share fell by 6.8% and yet where Muslims accounted for less than 10% of the population Labour gained by 3.3%.

The Muslim Vote - an umbrella organisation of Islamic groups across the UK - has a website which, with a postcode lookup, tells Muslims exactly who they should vote for.

It demands "no more political apathy" and describes itself as a powerful, united force of 4 million "acting in unison."

It tweeted after the election that Labour would suffer even greater losses at its hands in 2029.

Posting on on X, it said: "In Muslim-heavy seats, the seeds of our community have been sown."

So, it is clear that sectarianism will dominate the future.

That is why it’s very much in the interests of the nation that we get immigration under control: Our GPs can’t cope. Our roads can’t cope. Our schools can’t cope. Our country can’t cope.

And now even our politics are beginning to show the strain of mass migration at this scale. Reform UK is unique in reflecting the legitimate concerns of many in this country about mass immigration.

In a clever move they will putting up a number of candidates for the Welsh elections to the Senedd in 2026. They have proportional representation (PR) in those elections so I expect Farage to do spectacularly well.

I expect Reform to adopt PR in their manifesto. As you know Lib Dems have been a lone voice seeking PR over the decades.

With both demanding it and the Tories now struggling under first-past-the-post, that would leave Labour as an outlier – I can see real change coming in our voting system.

GB News, which has been targeted by a far-left advertising boycott since before it even launched, recently launched GBN Membership to enable you to support us directly.

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Cameron and Holden resign as Tories reshuffle top team

The Conservative Party has announced a reshuffle, as former ministers and returning MPs make the transition into becoming the shadow cabinet.

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Starmer says work under way for closer ties with EU and to fix UK's 'botched' Brexit deal

Labour is already working to build closer ties with the European Union, Sir Keir Starmer has said as he continues his tour of the UK.

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There was NOTHING conservative about the Conservative Party, claims Nana Akua

Britain under the Conservatives has been a total, I cannot say that here, so let's just say it started out promising and then degenerated into a clown world.

Because if you don't laugh, you'll cry. Where do I start? Strikes galore. Doctors, nurses. rail, post office, teachers. Our roads are full of potholes, our rivers are polluted, and the NHS is decimated.

Good luck calling for an ambulance. My advice is, if you can, you're better off driving to the hospital yourself.

But when you get there, be ready to wait days only to end up on a corridor. Identity politics has flourished under the Conservatives, who allowed gender identity to embed itself into our institutions.

True, it was Sir Keir Starmer who struggled to answer whether a woman has a penis or not. But to be fair to him, it was the policies set up by the Tories that enabled this delusion.

Diversity and inclusion, or DEI, and net zero, all became a thing. Under the last Government, the latter we can thank Theresa May for crime is off the scale.

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Don't get me started on people carrying knives and machetes. Bills are sky high, not helped by the highest tax burden since the war.

And as for immigration, the bit that we could control, legal migration, is completely out of control. And then there's illegal migration. Whilst I support the notion of Rwanda and believe we need a third country to help us out, I couldn't see it happening because of the numerous legal challenges and all of this at the taxpayers' expense.

The smugglers are laughing all the way to the bank. I could go on. There was nothing conservative about the Conservative Party. They might as well have been Labour.

Instead of dealing with policies and focusing on the electorate, the Conservatives spent the last five years in fighting.

Secretaries, Home Secretary or Education, Ministers, Chancellors. I mean, it was just a revolving door of self-serving politicians who appeared to move jobs every time an important decision needed to be made. Even calling the election was embarrassing.

Rishi Sunak, standing in the rain with no umbrella, with the tune of Things can Only Get better in the background.

And then he turned around and you could see that he was drenched. All we needed next was lightning to finish things off.

And after that, he stood in the Titanic quarter under the exit sign. And what on earth was he thinking when he chose to leave the D-Day commemorations early for a pre-recorded interview on ITV?

You couldn't make it up. In truth, it seems most governments, irrespective of party, degenerated into chaos by about 14 years.

I mean take Labour under Tony Blair, but at the end of his tenure we could take no more.

I'm not a fan of many of the Labour Party policies, like VAT on independent schools, which I believe hasn't been thought through. I suspect an impact assessment will show it will cause more harm than good or bring forward green policies.

But I am a fan of stable government and if Sir Keir Starmer can achieve this, then even those who didn't vote for him, which is 80 per cent of the electorate, will be thankful for at least that.

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Labour defence secretary travels to Ukraine as govt pledges new supplies to Kyiv

Defence Secretary John Healey has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the Labour government making a new pledge on sending arms to Ukraine.

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Labour pursues 'closer' ties with EU as Lammy's talks 'just beginning' for Brussels 'reset'

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has claimed his talks with EU nations this weekend are “just the beginning” of his attempt to “reset” relations with the Brussels bloc.

Lammy, who succeeded Lord David Cameron following Labour’s landslide victory on July 4, is visiting a number of EU member states.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry said the push could help see the UK “move closer to the EU” after voters opted to cut ties with the bloc in 2016.

Lammy, who compared Brexit-backing members of the European Research Group to Nazis and supported a second referendum on EU membership, vowed to “reset relations with Europe as a reliable partner, a dependable ally and a good neighbour”.

“That is why I am travelling immediately to some of our key European partners. Sitting down with Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, Poland’s Radek Sikorski and Sweden’s Tobias Billström, my message will be simple: let us seize the opportunity for a reset, working even more closely together to tackle shared challenges,” he said.

The Foreign Secretary also said Labour will “champion” EU holidays and school exchanges, which critics argue have been hindered by Brexit.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted Labour would not drag the UK back into the Brussels bloc, vowing to keep Britain out of the Single Market.

Lammy added: “We are not going to rejoin the Single Market and the Customs Union but there is much that we can do together.”

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However, the EU is reportedly going to rush to reopen Brexit negotiations.

A source told The Guardian: “It’s not that people are thinking good things about the UK, it’s not that they are thinking bad things. They are not thinking about the UK at all.”

Another source claimed: “There is no appetite for Brexit in European capitals.”

Doubling-down on the irrelevance of Brexit, the insider added: “The UK is simply not in people’s minds.

“We have two wars going on – reopening talks on Brexit would require a lot of political capital and absorb a lot of resources here in Brussels.”

However, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris claimed the Brussels bloc is “absolutely” open to Starmer’s plan.

He said: “I do absolutely think there would be a fair hearing for any proposal that the British government or indeed the EU has about ironing out practical issues in terms of having a relationship that works.

“Is there space to have a veterinary agreement, is there space in terms of student mobility, is there space to work closer together on issues? I think there absolutely is.

“And I do think there would be a willingness in Europe to have those conversations in due course, should that be the wish of the British Government.”

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Sir Keir Starmer slammed for 'unfair' voting system by teen Reform UK voter: 'Don't have a real mandate to govern!'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been criticised for the UK's "unfair" voting system after wiping out Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives in the latest General Election.

The Labour leader was first-past-the-post as he secured a majority with over 400 seats, knocking the Tories down to just 121 seats.

However, despite winning over four million votes and coming second place in almost 100 constituencies across the country, Nigel Farage and the Reform UK party managed to secure just five seats in Parliament.

Speaking to GB News, 19-year-old voter Alex Metcalfe claimed the current voting structure creates "a two-party system", and doesn't allow other successful parties such as Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats more of a voice in the House of Commons.

Revealing that he voted for Reform UK, Metcalfe criticised the new Prime Minister and said the Labour government "don't have a real mandate to govern", following the result.

He explained: "Reform got 4.1 million votes in this election, and they equate it to five seats. Liberal Democrats got 3.5 million votes, and that equated to 71 seats.

"In 98 constituencies the Reform Party finished second, and the Labour Party had a vote share of 35 per cent.

"That's lower than what they had under Corbyn in 2017 and 2019. So as far as I'm concerned, I don't think they have a real mandate to govern."

Responding to Metcalfe's claim, host Nana Akua agreed that a lot of Britons feel the system "isn't fair", but it is something the country now "has to deal with".

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Nana told GB News: "A lot of people feel that it's a bit unfair - but having said that, now we are where we are, we have to deal with it."

When asked for his views on the Labour Party and Keir Starmer as the new Prime Minister, Metcalfe admitted that he "doesn't trust" the new leader of Britain.

Metcalfe revealed: "Unfortunately, on the first-past-the-post, we create a two-party system. So I'm not very happy.

"Labour are really the only credible opposition, but I don't trust Keir Starmer as a leader."

Hitting out at Starmer further, Metcalfe added: "I think he doesn't have much charisma, he's quite boring, to put it bluntly."

In one of his first actions as Prime Minister, Starmer today announced that he would be scrapping Sunak's Rwanda plan for immigration.

Speaking at a press conference about his plans for the country, Starmer said: "The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started. It's never been a deterrent.

"I'm not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don't act as a deterrent."

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Labour were the only credible alternative, but surely no one can be worse than the Tories, says Nana Akua

Today we got the first major press conference from Sir Keir Starmer, who promised to be the Government for all, even if you didn't vote for him or it was your first time.

Let's hope it was just an oversight that they didn't do a question for GB News.

Now Keir Starmer is now first among equals and is picking his cabinet. Angela Rayner was the first to stroll into No10, retaining her position as Deputy Leader.

She also becomes Levelling Up Secretary. More like levelling down, she was previously pushing to end zero-hours contracts. Hope she has a rethink on that one.

Rachel Reeves is the first female Chancellor. She played chess from an early age. Apparently, her father taught her the key moves. By the time she was in secondary school, she was a national champion.

Now, I used to play chess. It makes you very strategic.

Yvette Cooper becomes Home Secretary. She's married to Ed Balls, who can often be seen sitting smugly next to Susanna Reid. Both he and his wife Yvette are veterans of New Labour.

They have all but scrapped Rwanda, that has been the first thing.

David Lammy becomes Foreign Secretary. Clearly, a woman is foreign to him.

When asked if it is transphobic to say only women have a cervix, Lammy said: "I don't know if it's transphobic, but it's not accurate, Nick.

"I mean, obviously it's probably the case that only trans women don't have ovaries, but a cervix, I understand, is something that you can have following various procedures."

A cervix is the neck of a womb. So unless you've got a womb, you can't make a neck for it.

Others include Pat McFadden. He is one of the few members of the new cabinet who has experience serving in Government. None of the others have so far, they have been in the opposition for that long. Under Gordon Brown, Pat served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Cabinet Office and later as a minister in the Business Department.

Shabana Mahmood will be serving as Justice Secretary. She became the first female Muslim in the House of Commons when she was elected in 2010, but has clashed with Keir Starmer on Gaza.

Wes Streeting, who before politics openly tweeted about war policy, had that issue with Suzanne Hall where he made comments about white supremacists, presuming that we're the ones that are voting for her. But on the plus side, he's acknowledged that he was wrong on the trans debate and is looking to reform the NHS.

I sincerely hope he succeeds Bridget Phillipson, who once starred in the background for Byker Grove. She becomes the Education Secretary, although perhaps she could learn to answer a few questions on private schools.

And Ed Miliband became the Energy Secretary, which is fitting really, because he sort of reminds me of one of those creature comforts.

I'll be honest here, the Labour Party at this stage were the only credible alternative. Yes, a massive majority gives you total control. But as we saw with the Conservatives, they squandered theirs after the disaster of the Tories. Surely no one could be worse.

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Don't be fooled by 'call me Keir' - this prime minister means business

So it's "Call me Keir", is it? Sounds very informal. But we shouldn't be fooled.

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From congratulations to 'I don't care' - World leaders react to Starmer's 'remarkable' win

Joe Biden is the latest world leader to react to Sir Keir Starmer's election victory – but while many congratulated the new prime minister, one has insisted: "I don't care."

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Nigel Farage warns new Reform MP that his 'life is ruined completely' as he wins South Basildon and East Thurrock seat

Nigel Farage joked with the newly elected Reform MP as he warned that his "life is ruined completely" following a recount in the Basildon South and East Thurrock constituency.

James McMurdock won the seat with a majority of just 98 votes from Labour candidate Jack Ferguson.

McMurdock adds to an historic Westminster tally for Reform - he joins Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Richard Tice and Rupert Lowe in Parliament.

The latest Reform MP informed Farage about the news over the phone as the Reform UK leader congratulated the winner.

"Epic! Well, all I can tell you now, as an elected politician is your life is ruined completely.

"Congratulations!

"What we'll, you just calm down for a bit. What we'll do, I'll be with you at 10am in whichever you think is the best, busiest thoroughfare, we'll tell all the media and we'll go for a walkabout and we'll have a lot of fun."

McMurdock - following the recount - was confirmed to have taken the seat from the Tories - unhorsing Stephen Metcalfe, who won with an overwhelming 65.4 per cent of the vote in 2019.

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It comes after Farage was elected as the MP for Clacton on his eighth attempt for office.

Ex-Tory MP Giles Watling trailed in second on 27.9 per cent, with Labour's Jovan Owusu-Nepaul receiving just 16.2 per cent of the vote.

Farage pulled in marginally more support than ex-Ukip MP Douglas Carswell.

After overturning a 24,702 Tory majority to win by 8,405, Farage said: "There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it."

Taking aim at Labour, the Reform UK leader warned: "What is interesting is, there's no enthusiasm for Labour, there's no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever.

"In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote. We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that."

His - and McMurdock's - victories in Essex contribute to a night of humiliation for the Conservatives in an area considered Tory heartland since the days of Margaret Thatcher.

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Dogs at polling stations - the best pictures from Sky News readers

It's not just voters who headed to the polls for the general election – plenty of loyal, furry friends have joined their humans for the walk to the ballot box.

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Outcry over postal votes as expats hit by delays unable to vote in time

Some British expats have been left furious as postal vote delays meant they were unable to cast their vote in the 2024 General Election.

GB News has heard from expats living across Europe who had not received their postal vote in time.

Richard Hill, President of Brexpats in Spain International, said he had heard from many people who had still not received their postal vote, just days before the polls opened.

He said: “Given the time it takes to return the forms to the UK from Spain, they have basically been denied their right to vote in the UK.

“This was obviously going to happen given the short notice for the election and the lack of preparation by local authorities.”

Another expat said on Tuesday: “My wife and I are British pensioners living in Greece.

“We applied for a postal vote in the first week of June. We still have not received it.

“I suppose we will be denied our democratic right to vote.”

Another told GB News: “I live in Germany and was told I should vote per proxy as my postal vote might not reach the Ballot box on time. I don't understand why they couldn't send the postal vote out earlier.

"Until the beginning of this year, people living outside of the UK were not allowed to vote because of the 15-year rule which was brought in many many years ago.

“Since the rule has been scrapped, there are many millions who live outside of the UK who are now eligible to vote and have to vote by post, and yet their votes may not be counted in the election as the postal votes were sent out late.

“These many millions living outside the UK who could now be voting in the election may not be counted - I think this is worth a mention especially if there needs to be a recount.”

Another person, who lives in France, said they applied for a postal vote three weeks ago.

It arrived weeks later on Saturday, June 29, and while they returned it by airmail on Monday, July 1, they feared it was “unlikely” to arrive on time in order to be counted.

Some UK residents have also not received their postal votes.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Monday: “We’re working closely with the Electoral Commission, returning officers, Royal Mail and the print suppliers to support the resolution of these issues."

A Local Government Association spokesperson said: “Councils and electoral staff across the country have been doing their utmost to ensure the smooth running of this election and that people can vote.

“People voting by post are expected to have increased 20 per cent since 2019, with more than 1.3 million postal vote applications made between 22 May and 19 June. This unprecedented increase adds more pressure to an already complex process and overburdened system.

“We are aware of reports of incidents where delays have happened. The postal vote system could benefit from review and more could be done to support Royal Mail and printers to be ready to deliver elections.”

An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “At all elections, the timetable allows only a short window of time for administrators to prepare and dispatch postal votes. That means it can be particularly difficult for overseas voters to receive and return their postal vote in time.

“We have made recommendations to the UK Government in the past about how to improve the experience for overseas voters. We will be gathering evidence after this poll, and will put forward further suggestions as appropriate.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We have a specialist elections team that plans every aspect of the elections delivery programmes and works closely with local authorities to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

“We have delivered more postal votes and candidate mail than ever before and we are proud of the role we play in the democratic process. There is no backlog in our network. We remain confident that postal votes handed to us on time have been delivered in time for polling day.”

The rules on eligibility to register as an overseas voter changed in January this year, meaning British citizens living abroad can now register to vote in UK General Elections, regardless of how long they have been living outside of the UK.

Previously, someone could only register for 15 years after they left the UK, known as the 15-year time limit.

The rule change means people who have previously lived in or been registered to vote in the UK now have the right to vote in UK parliament elections.

Overseas voters must register online at gov.uk/registertovote and must confirm their personal information every three years.

They can apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote if they're registered as an overseas voter. It may be possible to apply for an emergency proxy vote after the proxy vote deadline has passed.

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'Amateur and a shambles!' Nigel Farage admits 'shock' at state of Reform UK as he throws Tice under the bus

Nigel Farage has admitted his "shock" at the state of the Reform party when he took over as leader last month.

In an interview with GB News' Christopher Hope, he appeared to throw former party leader Richard Tice under the bus, saying the party was a "shambles".

Farage told GB News he "didn't quite know what I was inheriting a month ago".

This comes after the defection of two Reform candidates. Georgie David, who quit the party yesterday, said the "vast majority" of her fellow candidates are "racist, misogynistic and bigoted".

Two days earlier, Liam Booth-Isherwood, who is standing as a candidate in Erewash, also defected from Reform to the Tories.

Speaking to GB News, Farage added: "I've been honorary president, I've had nothing to do with the running of this for three years - you'd never believe me but that is the truth.

"I've been a bit shocked at just how relatively amateur and startup the whole thing was. It's not a criticism, Richard Tice kept it going - he put a million quid of his own money, loans yeah, but into keeping it going. And yeah, it was a bit of a shambles.

"So have we got some bad apples? Yes. Is it reflective of the broader party - no. And on this ludicrous racism charge, well you can see Zia Yusuf is our biggest donor so far in the campaign. We've got plenty of candidates from all sorts of backgrounds."

He added: "If I'd known what I was inheriting a month ago... I would still have done it".

Pressed on whether he would have become leader or not had he known the full situation, the Reform UK leader appeared to hesitate.

He then responded: "It annoys me greatly, but I can see what happened. They literally put out a Charlie Charlie call. 'Anyone that wants to stand please come and stand'."

An undercover Channel 4 investigation saw Reform UK activists filmed by an undercover journalist. Footage showed canvasser Andrew Parker using a racial slur about Rishi Sunak.

Parker also suggested migrants arriving in the UK on small boats should be used as “target practice”.

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Essex Police today confirmed that no criminal offences were committed by the activists.

But Farage said: "The Essex Police can say that but Ofcom needs to do their job."

The Reform UK leader claimed he was the victim of a stitch-up because Parker is an actor.

But Parker insisted he was there as a Reform activist and Channel 4 said he was “not known” to the broadcaster before being “filmed covertly via the undercover operation”.

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Keir Starmer leaves voters divided after being dubbed a 'part time' leader: 'He’s gone woke!'

Birmingham voters have been left divided as they shared their verdict on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, following his latest controversial remarks just days before the General Election.

In an admission during an interview with Virgin Radio, Starmer suggested that he would "not do any work related things past 6pm on a Friday".

He said: "So on a Friday – I’ve been doing this for years – I will not do a work-related thing after six o’clock, pretty well come what may.

"There are a few exceptions, but that’s what we do. In politics, some people think if you fill your diary 24/7 and don’t do anything else, that makes you a much better decision-maker. I don’t agree with that."

Reacting to the comments, GB News asked voters in Birmingham how they felt about Starmer's admission and if he is what the Conservatives have called him, a "part-time Prime Minister".

One voter hit out at Labour's premier and said the idea was "ridiculous".

He fumed: "It's ridiculous really. Every day is a different situation and sometimes you can't do what you want to do.

"You have to work later - sometimes you can knock off early, but you can't just say, well, it's six, I'm going home."

In contrast, a female voter defended Starmer's remarks and said that even as Prime Minister, he would need "family time to keep the family together".

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Offering a scathing verdict on Starmer, another Birmingham local hit out at his stance on transgender issues and how he is "unable to say what a woman is".

He raged: "I don't really like Keir Starmer because he couldn't answer one simple question - what is a woman?

"He can just say 'I'm a man, she's a woman', but he won't answer it, because he's gone woke."

Receiving support from other locals, one father claimed that it is "fair" for Starmer to have "family time" on a Friday evening.

He explained: "As a family man, I've got kids. I think that's fair.

"No one else wants to work after six o'clock on a Friday. Just because he's running the country, I don't see why he can't have family time."

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Channel 4 undercover plants attempted to ‘trap' Reform UK volunteers into 'talking about Tommy Robinson and George Floyd'

Reform Party sources have accused Channel 4’s undercover plants of “shameful” and “unethical” behaviour by attempting to “trap” volunteers into making remarks about Tommy Robinson and George Floyd, GB News can reveal.

Sources from Nigel Farage's Party in Clacton told this broadcaster that Channel 4’s undercover reporters intentionally attempted to spark conversations around controversial subjects so as to provoke Reform volunteers.

One Reform source told GB News: “The two Channel 4 stooges were obsessed with Tommy Robinson, going up to random volunteers and trying to start a conversation about him.”

“No one took the bait and they were given short shrift.

“When they weren’t doing that they were talking about George Floyd.”

The Reform source continued: “It was all a bit much and quite strange, but they told people they’d never done any political campaigning before so I think people gave them the benefit of the doubt.”

“Looking back at their actions, it is clear they were attempting to provoke volunteers into making statements deemed not politically correct.”

“It is unethical, and frankly shameless, for these men to have tried to trap people in this way so they could destroy their lives using the might of the major left-wing broadcaster they worked for.”

Channel 4’s undercover investigation into Reform Party leafleters last week sparked a major political row when one volunteer, Andrew Parker, was found to have made racist remarks about the Prime Minister.

The volunteer’s comments made headline news, and Rishi Sunak even waded into the row.

However, the media’s focus on the comments of one Reform UK volunteer has been criticised by some who say the story has been blown out of proportion.

Connor Tomlinson, a broadcaster and commentator from the centre-right platform the Lotus Eaters, said: “The fact that the production team working on behalf of Channel 4 felt the need to steer the conversation toward contentious topics about race shows how disingenuous this attack on Reform UK's integrity is.”

“The campaigners who sacrificed their time to canvas for Mr Farage in Clacton were confused, and didn't provide the sensationalist footage the undercover operatives hoped for.”

“If they had, so much of the so-called expose would not have been dedicated to Andrew Parker, whose undisclosed past as an actor has cast the veracity of the whole report into doubt.”

“Channel 4 attempted the same hit job against the Brexit Party in 2019. This is a clear case of a political hatchet job aimed at smearing anti-immigration parties as racist.”

Another Reform Party source told GB News: “I spent a few days canvassing for Reform in Clacton and met and chatted with a couple of dozen volunteers during that time.”

He continued: “A mixture of ages - some retired, others younger, some local and some down from London and elsewhere; All were intelligent, sensible and motivated people.”

“I did not come across Andrew Parker while I was there. None of the volunteers I encountered and spoke with said anything offensive, certainly not of the nature of the comments made by Andrew Parker.

“It is an extraordinary coincidence - and probably not a coincidence - that Channel 4 just happened to be filming when Andrew Parker made these comments.”

Harrison Pitt, a senior editor at The European Conservative and a political commentator at the New Culture Forum, said: “These ham-fisted hit-job attempts smack of desperation and panic.”

“They go to show that the ‘journalists’ working in legacy media are not curious investigators, but second-rate activists under another name - courtiers of an establishment that lives in fear of anything to the right of politically correct, boilerplate centrism.”

“Reform UK should be sure to learn the right lesson: there is no point in pandering to people who will always hate you.”

“These attempts may have failed in one sense. But they will have succeeded in a much larger sense if they spook Reform into playing things safe and becoming neutered as a political force.”

A spokesperson for Channel 4 News said: "We strongly stand by our rigorous and duly impartial journalism which speaks for itself.”

“We met Mr Parker for the first time at Reform UK party headquarters, where he was a Reform party canvasser.

"We did not pay the Reform UK canvasser or anyone else in this report. Mr Parker was not known to Channel 4 News and was filmed covertly via the undercover operation.”

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Woke BBC presenter says he'd 'have Trump MURDERED' after ex-President ruled to have immunity

A BBC presenter has been blasted on social media after appearing to call for Donald Trump's murder following his Supreme Court ruling in the US earlier today.

David Aaronovitch, who presents BBC Radio 4's "Briefing Room" programme, had apparently clamoured for the 45th President's killing online "on the basis that he is a threat to America's security".

Posting on social media, Aaronovitch said: "If I was Biden I'd hurry up and have Trump murdered on the basis that he is a threat to America's security" - sparking instant outrage online.

In response, some claimed the presenter's post had amounted to an "open call for violence", with others suggesting "people have had police visits for a lot less".

While GB News contributor Alex Armstrong slammed the broadcaster, saying: "Backtracking now. Did your handlers get in touch and tell you to deny it?"

Aaronovitch later appeared to U-turn on the post, suggesting the replies to his comments amounted to a "far right pile on" from "the daftest people on this site".

He said: "There's now a far right pile on suggesting that my tweet about the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity is an incitement to violence when it’s plainly a satire. So I’m deleting it.

"If nothing else though it’s given me a map of some the daftest people on this site."

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One reply from journalist Jack Montgomery accusing the Radio 4 host of "Trump Derangement Syndrome", prompted Aaronovitch to jab: "Did you see the Supreme Court ruling Jack? Or were you too busy with your head up Nigel Farage's derriere?"

The landmark ruling today saw the 45th President - seeking re-election this November - granted immunity for "official acts", or actions "within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority".

But crucially, Trump is not immune from prosecution for "unofficial acts" - essentially, anything the ex-Commander-in-Chief has done privately "out of office", so to speak.

Chief Justice John Roberts, announcing the ruling which had been voted through by a margin of six to three justices, said "the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution" for official acts taken as President.

Trump will challenge Joe Biden at the polls on November 5 as he seeks to become just the second President since Grover Cleveland to serve two non-consecutive terms.

And the court's slow handling of the blockbuster case already had helped him by making it unlikely that any trial on the charges, brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, could be completed before the election.

Trump had argued that he is immune from prosecution because he was serving as President when he took the actions that led to the charges - but Smith had opposed presidential immunity from prosecution based on the principle that no one is above the law.

If he regains the Presidency in November, Trump could try to force an end to the prosecution or potentially pardon himself for any federal crimes.

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Nigel Farage accused of 'putting off' Reform voters with Putin comments: 'Their image has been tarnished!'

Nigel Farage has "tarnished" the image of Reform UK just days away from the General Election, it has been claimed.

The leader of Reform was forced to hit back at critics in a recent press conference, following remarks he made about the Russian war in Ukraine.

In an interview with BBC Panorama, Farage claimed that the EU and Nato had given Putin a reason to tell the Russian people "they're coming for us again".

Launching an attack on the critics and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Farage affirmed he "would never, ever defend Putin".

Farage raged: "I think his behaviour in Ukraine and elsewhere has been reprehensible. None of this justifies what he's done."

Discussing Reform's chances at the upcoming election this week, senior Political Commentator Nigel Nelson said Farage had "caused damage" with the remarks.

Nelson told GB News: "I think Reform have done themselves quite a bit of damage with two things that have happened.

"One is Nigel Farage talking about Nato provoking the war in Ukraine. I think I know what he was trying to say, but that was actually a bit clumsy."

Nelson then accused Farage of "putting off voters" with the comments about Ukraine and Nato.

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Noting the recent Channel 4 News investigation, which exposed a party canvasser expressing racist and Islamophobic remarks, Nelson said it has contributed to a "tarnished image" for Reform going into the polls on July 4.

Nelson told host Martin Daubney: "It has put some voters off. Also, the allegations of racism within his party - image is everything during elections, and the image has become a bit tarnished for Reform."

Sharing his thoughts on how well he believes Reform will do in the election, Nelson admitted that they "won't make any major inroads" at the ballot box.

He added: "I don't think they're going to make the major inroads they were hoping for. One poll gave them the possibility of 18 MPs, and I just don't see that happening."

For the main parties going into the election, Nelson claimed that their leaders will be aiming for "damage limitation", and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is "trying to save as many MPs as he can".

Nelson concluded: "I would think that the Tories should pull in around 150 seats. That's what should happen, but this election really is all over the place. I could be way out on that prediction.

"I'm sure that Tories who are fond of betting on political outcomes won't be betting on this one. This is astonishing. I certainly expected the polls to narrow during the election campaign, and they just haven't.

"Labour has been consistently 20 points ahead, that has not changed. There's been a little bit of an increase in Reform, but this election campaign in my experience is absolutely unique, and I've been this is the 11th one I've been covering."

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