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Friday, February 7, 2025

Michelle Dewberry in blistering row with ‘jealous’ GB News guest who claims billionaires are a ‘moral abomination’


Watch the moment Michelle Dewberry clashed with Jeremy Corbyn’s former adviser on GB News as a row erupted over how much Britain’s wealthiest should pay in tax.

James Schneider argued for a form of socialism and said billionaires “should not exist”, branding them a “moral abomination”.


“At what point do you get to a point of jealousy?”, Michelle asked, a point furiously refuted by Schneider who insisted he does not envy those with limitless funds.

“At what point does your jealousy kick in? Is it when their first million kicks in?”, he said.


Michelle Dewberry and James Schneider

“I’m not jealous. If I was, I would go out and earn a lot of money. I want to take from the rich to give to us all.”

Michelle responded: “It’s a good job I am not a billionaire because I would tell you to sling your hook. If you were in charge, I would get my stuff and move to a place like Dubai where there is less tax.”

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GB News panel

Schneider said such a move would be “unpatriotic” and taking more from the rich would assist with things like childcare and transport, which would make the country greater as a whole.

“I do not think the Bank of England giving out hundreds of billions of pounds in quantitive easing to inflate asset prices, that means people that hold assets get their assets inflated”, he said.

“Have they done anything? No. The Bank of England has acted in such a way to put more money on their asset value.

“This is unfair and it’s also bad for a dynamic economy. We should tax productive investment less. Unproductive asset hoarding should be taxed much more.”


Michelle Dewberry

It comes as new figures revealed Labour’s inheritance taxes will affect 150,000 families by 2030.

The policy will force 31,200 families to pay inheritance tax for the first time, while a further 121,500 who already pay the levy will see their bills increase.

From April 2027, unused pension funds will be included in estate valuations for inheritance tax purposes.

A property worth £300,000 with a £100,000 pension would face a £30,000 tax bill, rising to £110,000 if the pension was valued at £300,000, according to Interactive Investor analysis.


The changes create a "double hit" for beneficiaries, with some facing combined inheritance and income tax rates as high as 90 per cent on inherited pensions.

Basic-rate taxpayers could face an effective rate of 52 per cent, rising to 64 per cent for higher-rate taxpayers.

Richard Wilson, chief executive of Interactive Investor, condemned the proposals as "an affront to people who have done the right thing".

He warned the changes would "undermine the already fragile confidence in the pensions system" and could drive decisions harming long-term financial security.

Inheritance tax receipts have already hit £6.3bn between April and December 2024, up £600m from 2023.

The Office for Budget Responsibility expects receipts to rise to £8.3bn in 2024-25, with estates subject to the tax nearly doubling to 9.5 per cent by 2029-30.



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Thursday, February 6, 2025

Southport killer’s case closed THREE times by counterterrorism police due to misspelling of name, report finds


An enquiry has disclosed that the misspelling of Axel Rudakubana’s name in the Government’s counter-terrorism database may have hampered his assessment as a possible mass murderer.

The teenager was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a dance class in Southport on July 29, last year.


The Government's review of the Prevent programme found that Rudakubana’s case was closed "prematurely" after three referrals for an interest in knives and mass atrocities between December 2019 and April 2021.

While his surname was correctly spelled in 2019, it was misspelled in 2021, which meant that anti-terror officers "may not have been able to see a previous referral".


Axel Rudakubana \u200b
Labour MP Dan Jarvis speaking to GB News

Security minister Dan Jarvis told MPs on Wednesday: “The Prevent learning review found that there was sufficient risk for the perpetrator to have been managed through Prevent. It found that the referral was closed prematurely, and there was sufficient concern to keep the case active while further information was collected."

However, Southport MP Patrick Hurley told the chamber “it beggared belief” that the report noted Rudakubana’s name was spelled incorrectly on the Prevent database. The review said Rudakubana’s surname was misspelt as Prevent officers tried to assess his danger.

It read: "The supervisor may not have been able to see the previous referral … because the first case record was created under a slightly different spelling...As the supervisor was unable to find the previous referral...this may have caused the case to be closed quickly on minimal information.

"This may be due to the second referral being created on a new subject/individual entity due to the misspelling of [Rudakubana’s] surname."

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Southport tributes

A review into the handling of Rudakubana under the Government’s counter-terrorism programme Prevent found there was an “under-exploration” of the significance of the 18-year-old’s repeat referrals, including his history of violence.

The teenager attacked a pupil with a hockey stick, used school computers to look up the London Bridge terror outrage and carried a knife on a bus and into class before he carried out the Southport murders.

The review found Rudakubana’s research of school shootings, talking about stabbing people and saying the terrorist attack on 'MEN', believed to refer to the Ariana Grande concert attack at the Manchester Arena in 2017, "may have shown a real interest in terrorism".

The final referral was made by a teacher from Acorns School on April 26, 2021, after Rudakubana was found searching the internet for information about bombings in London and seemed to be interested in the Israel-Palestine conflict, MI5 and the IRA.


\u200bThe Glade of Light Memorial dedicated to the memory of those who died at the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017

However, the referral was dismissed, partly on the grounds that an interest in current affairs can be an autistic trait.

The review said: "Rudakubana’s potential autism spectrum disorder and ‘special interest’, which frequently are combined, are part of the reasons that make him susceptible to being drawn into terrorism.

"When taken in context the potential special interests in mass killings, terrorist acts and a capability to commit violence, then there is a potential vulnerability to being drawn into terrorism."

The case was closed on May 10.



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'Unbelievable!' Farage issues four-word response after new poll puts Reform UK on cusp of sweeping to power



Nigel Farage has issued a hilarious four-word response after a new poll put Reform UK on the cusp of sweeping to power.

The survey, conducted by Find Out Now, handed the populist party a four-point lead over Labour, securing 29 per cent of the vote.

Responding to the poll with a short clip, Farage said: "The vibe is unbelievable."

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REVEALED: The astonishing amount woke hires cost UK taxpayers as Donald Trump axes DEI industry


Equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) positions and training cost the taxpayer billions every year, a Freedom of Information request recently found.

The eye-watering sum was cited in an independent report commissioned by the Inclusion at Work Panel last year.

The FOI was submitted to 6,000 public bodies on behalf of Tory think tank Conservative Way Forward.


The right-leaning think tank also sifted through the accounts of government departments and the external bodies and charities they’re funding.

The FOI request revealed that 10,000 EDI jobs are costing the UK taxpayer £557million a year, as well as one million working days lost. The money saved from these positions could fund around 12,500 nurses.


Donald Trump (left), Keir Starmer (right)

The bombshell revelation comes after LinkedIn data published in 2020 found that the UK employs almost twice as many D&I workers (per 10,000 employees) as any other country.

This is dwarfed by America, however, which seeds companies spend around $8 billion on DEI efforts.

Not for much longer. Donald Trump is busy at work rolling back DEI initiatives inside and outside the government.

Among the flurry of executive orders he signed during his first days as US president, two were targeted at DEI.

The first executive order, signed on January 20th,aims to end what Trump described as "radical" and "wasteful" DEI programs within the federal government.


The second signed around the same time focuses on reforming the federal hiring process to restore merit-based employment.

Meanwhile, taking a chainsaw to DEI initiatives falls under the remit of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by Elon Musk.

DOGE aims to streamline federal operations, reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies.

Last week, the department posted on social media that it had eliminated 104 DEI-related contracts worth $1billion.


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Elon Musk and Donald Trump

The move is likely to cause companies outside of the US to reconsider their DEI programmes.

A recent survey of 140 UK employers conducted earlier this week by Occupational Health Assessment found that a majority felt the policy shift under Trump would affect UK businesses.

The research found that 69 per cent of employers thought there would be some changes made to the UK workplace as a result of the US reversal, although only six per cent of respondents thought those changes would be major.

Just 16 per cent of employers thought there would be no change here in the UK, with the same number unclear as to what might happen.



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Wednesday, February 5, 2025

WATCH: Nigel Farage blasts 'outrageous' cancellation of local elections for Reform UK


Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has launched a blistering attack on the "completely outrageous" decision by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to postpone local elections in nine councils.

Farage declared he is "bloomin' angry" that millions of Reform UK supporters are being "denied their vote" on May 1, with areas including Essex and Norfolk.

FULL STORY HERE.



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Tuesday, February 4, 2025

‘You watch’: Ex-Brexit chief warns Nigel Farage ‘Britain will get sucked in’ as Starmer eyes EU reset


Former Brexit minister David Davis has issued stark warnings about Labour's approach to EU negotiations, claiming the party risks being "sucked in" to deeper European integration.

Speaking on GB News, Davis criticised what he called Labour's "naivety" about Europe, stating: "They're a bunch of Remainers and they want to be back in."


He predicted the UK would face mounting pressure on multiple fronts. "They will get pressed on fishing rights, free movement for young people which will grow, they will get pressed on the European Court of Justice," Davis warned.

Labour's European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has pledged a "ruthlessly pragmatic" approach to resetting relations with the EU during a speech in Brussels.


David Davis and Nigel Farage

"The time for ideologically driven division is over – the time for ruthless pragmatism is now," Thomas-Symonds declared.

The speech coincided with the announcement of the first UK-EU summit, scheduled for May 19, where Prime Minister Starmer will host European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.

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Keir Starmer

The summit aims to "deliver tangible benefits for the people of the UK and the EU," according to Downing Street.

Starmer has embarked on an unprecedented diplomatic push, becoming the first UK prime minister since Brexit to attend a major gathering of EU leaders in Brussels.

The Labour leader met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Chequers on Sunday.

His European engagement continues this week with meetings at Downing Street, hosting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Thursday.


David Davis and Keir Starmer

During his Brussels visit, Starmer also met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as part of discussions on defence and security cooperation.

Thomas-Symonds outlined plans for new agreements on security, defence, food standards and energy cooperation with the EU.

Brussels has indicated that any security deal would be linked to agreements on fishing access for EU vessels in British waters.

The EU is also pushing for a youth mobility scheme to allow 18-30 year olds easier access to work and study in Britain.


Thomas-Symonds emphasised the initiatives would help "smash the gangs" to curb illegal migration while boosting continental security and economic growth.

The political stakes of Labour's EU strategy are highlighted by a new YouGov poll showing Reform UK ahead for the first time at 25 per cent, with Labour at 24 per cent.

Starmer has set clear boundaries for negotiations, vowing Britain will not return to the single market or customs union.

Mark Francois, shadow defence minister, warned against "rejoining by stealth," stating: "Mr Second Referendum himself, Sir Keir Starmer, remains a Remainer at heart and he'll undoubtedly try and take us back in, step by step."



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‘What planet are you on?’ Watch as GB News star Martin Daubney shuts down Labour activist in Keir Starmer lockdown clash


Watch the moment GB News star Martin Daubney locked horns with Labour Party activist Chris Worrall over claims surrounding Keir Starmer’s lockdown antics.

The prime minister has denied breaking Covid lockdown rules over a voice coaching session in December 2020.


Worrall insists the PM is not guilty of any wrongdoing and pointed to lockdown rule-busting antics carried out by the Tories.

“A load of old cobblers from the lot who backed Boris Johnson after actual law breaking and now they want to clutch their pearls over Keir Starmer hiring a voice coach”, he argued.


Martin Daubney and Chris Worrall

“I mean, give over. Let’s get this straight. While the Tories were having lockdown raves, Keir Starmer was polishing up on his public speaking.

“If that’s their smoking gun then they’re in worse shape than we thought.”

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Martin Daubney and Chris Worrall

Martin hit back: “Chris, are you seriously saying that to the list of doctors, nurses, key workers, food production, those in the army, we can add vocal practice?

“What planet are you on? A vocal helper is not a key worker by any stretch of the imagination, no matter what side of the political spectrum you sit on.”

Worrall insisted Starmer’s detractors have “nothing on him” and they are “scraping the bottom of the barrel” as they look for a stick to beat him with.

“Meanwhile, those guys are putting actual Covid lockdown breakers in the Lords”, he said.


Keir Starmer

“You’ve got Shaun Bailey there. Nick Candy. He was partying. Let’s be honest, having public speaking put before you as a Leader of the Opposition is hardly committing a crime, is it?

“That’s what the police have found. There’s nothing to worry about here.”

The voice coaching session took place at Labour headquarters on Christmas Eve 2020, when London was under Tier 4 restrictions that forbade households mixing indoors.

Voice coach Leonie Miller was invited to help Starmer prepare his response to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, according to excerpts from the book "Get In".

The book claims Miller qualified for keyworker status and wore a face mask during her visit.

The session occurred the same week Johnson put London and the south-east into strict lockdown, effectively cancelling Christmas celebrations for many.



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‘He’s up to his neck in it!’ Lee Anderson rips into Keir Starmer over Covid lockdown row as he claims ‘there’s more to this story’


Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the voice coaching controversy.

"He's up to his neck in it. We all know that", Lee told GB News.


The MP shared an emotional account of a constituent whose dying husband could not receive hospital visits during the same period.

"Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer was calling for harsher lockdowns and had this voice coach", Lee said, dismissing claims the coach was a key worker.


Keir Starmer and Lee Anderson

"There's more to this story than meets the eye", he added.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denied breaking Covid lockdown rules over a voice coaching session in December 2020.

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Keir Starmer

"Of course not", he replied when questioned about potential rule breaches at a Brussels press conference.

Conservative MP Richard Holden has called for the Prime Minister to launch an investigation into himself.

"To me, this story has a long way to run", Holden told GB News. "There are some really serious questions for Keir Starmer. You could see just how uncomfortable he was in Brussels yesterday".

The voice coaching session took place at Labour headquarters on Christmas Eve 2020, when London was under Tier 4 restrictions that forbade households mixing indoors.


Matthew Stadlen and Lee Anderson

Voice coach Leonie Miller was invited to help Starmer prepare his response to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, according to excerpts from the book "Get In".

The book claims Miller qualified for keyworker status and wore a face mask during her visit.

The session occurred the same week Johnson put London and the south-east into strict lockdown, effectively cancelling Christmas celebrations for many.

Health Minister Karin Smyth defended the Prime Minister, saying he was conducting essential work.


"Keir was working. Working was allowed in tier four in London at that time", she told GB News.

"I think what we're seeing again is more mudslinging by the Tories on this issue at a time when they were partying – and we've got all the evidence of that", Smyth added.

Labour minister Catherine McKinnell echoed this defence, stating "there were no Covid rules broken" during the "very important moment".

Holden revealed he is yet to receive a response to his letter demanding answers about the potential breach.

The former Conservative Party chairman urged Starmer to investigate himself, telling GB News: "I think it's about time the prime minister calls for an investigation, just like he called an investigation into Boris Johnson."

A Labour spokesman maintained that "the rules were followed at all times" during the December 2020 meeting.

When asked if Starmer still uses a voice coach, the spokesperson replied: "Not that I'm aware of."



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Angela Rayner will pick Labour 'disciples' for proposed Islamophobia council, imam claims


The founder of the Oxford Institute for British Islam has criticised Angela Rayner's proposed new Islamophobia council, stating the term itself is "incorrect".

Speaking to GB News, Dr Taj Hargey argued that "anti-Muslim prejudice" would be more accurate, explaining that "Islamophobia is a catch all thing, it's not a racist thing".

FULL STORY HERE.



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Monday, February 3, 2025

Donald Trump’s trade war is a fork in the road for the United Kingdom, says Jacob Rees-Mogg


The United Kingdom is facing a fork in the road - continue with the status quo of low growth, high taxation and managed decline, or change path to a new era of prosperity, higher living standards and western dominance.

And the cause of this fork in the road? Donald Trump’s trade war.


The president yesterday signalled to the UK that it isn’t too late.

Tariffs are terrible economics but in this case, good politics.


Jacob Rees-Mogg

Trump is right when he says there is a huge trade deficit with the EU. The EU puts an average tariff of 10 per cent on US cars while the US’s tariff is merely 2.5 per cent.

Similarly, the EU's average tariff on agricultural goods from the US is 11.3 per cent, compared to the U.S. average of 4.8 per cent.


Donald Trump

But the EU also uses non-tariff barriers for US goods that often increase production costs for US exports, including on genetically modified organisms, the car industry, meat and pharmaceuticals. Infamously, the EU is terrified of chlorinated chicken, even though some foolish people are happy to eat chlorinated salad. In my view, it is the salad that is dangerous, not the chlorine.

In other words, the EU is an over-regulated super-bureaucracy, protectionist racket, which is more than happy to sell goods to the US but not the other way round.

This is where the UK comes in. We too, owing to our protectionist EU legacy, have a tariff on US cars.

As a gesture of goodwill, as Trump ramps up the trade war, we should immediately abolish this tariff.


Not only will it signal to Donald Trump that we have every intention of aligning ourselves with the high growth, low tax US economy, but it will make goods cheaper for you.

That is precisely why tariffs are bad economics but good politics. Donald Trump’s tariff regime will ultimately make imports more expensive for domestic consumers which lowers their standard of living and makes them poorer, but it will increase the US’s bargaining position.

The UK is in the perfect position to avoid these tariffs and offer free trade to the US, an avowed Brexit dividend.

But just in time for Trump’s trade war, Sir Keir Starmer is busy on his charm offensive, although in the Reverend Starmer’s case this may be more offensive than charm to the EU, attempting to reset our relations with the bloc.

He has always insisted the question of aligning with the EU or US is not a zero sum game, but it’s time for this chlorinated chicken to jump off the fence, go for growth and improve living standards across the United Kingdom.



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Keir Starmer forced to abandon his personal email account after Putin's hackers compromise PM


Sir Keir Starmer was forced to shut down his personal email account after a suspected Russian hack.

A new book called Get In recounting Starmer’s rise to power and his early days at Downing Street revealed that in 2022, Starmer was warned that his email may have been compromised by Russian hackers.


His head of office, Jill Cuthbertson, circulated a notice instructing staff not to email Starmer under any circumstances.

Starmer promptly changed his email address, which a source called “dangerously obvious”, adding two-factor authentication for extra security.


Starmer

Liz Truss was also reportedly hacked when she was Foreign Secretary. This was discovered during the Tory leadership campaign but kept quiet.

Starmer’s account was allegedly compromised after the Russia-Ukraine war began. In April 2022, Kremlin operatives hacked several other emails, including those of former MI6 head Sir Richard Dearlove and former BBC journalist Paul Mason.

At the time, Mason, who had been in Ukraine days before the invasion, was advising Shadow Defence Secretary John Healy on Russia and industrial policy.

He sent briefings to Healy and to former Nato Secretary-General Lord Robertson of Port Ellen as well as to Starmer, whose 2020 leadership campaign he helped plan.

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The correspondence would have provided hackers with insights into Labour’s thinking on defence.

Although the hackers did not publish Mason’s emails, they downloaded his contacts and sent malware messages to other Labour figures.

Senior members of Starmer’s office were briefed on the hack at the National Cyber Security Centre.

The book has led to other revelations, prompting inquiries into Starmer’s alleged breaking of pandemic lockdown rules in 2020.


Putin

The Labour leader received voice coaching from actress and communications skills coach Leonie Mellinger, and one of the lessons took place on Christmas Eve 2020, when tier four Covid lockdowns were in place.

Starmer claimed Mellinger was a key worker, enabling her to carry out the session in person at Labour HQ.

Conservative MP Richard Holden said there were “very serious” questions for Starmer to answer over the allegations.

Labour sources have said that all rules were followed.



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Reform UK's Rupert Lowe blasts Keir Starmer over lockdown breach claim as PM branded ‘more left-wing than Corbyn’


Reform MP Rupert Lowe has launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer over allegations he broke Covid rules, branding him "the most duplicitous prime minister since Tony Blair".

Speaking on GB News, Lowe claimed Starmer was "probably further left-wing than Jeremy Corbyn".


"He broke the rules that other people had to follow," Lowe said. "I think this is a disgrace, frankly. How he squares that circle, I don't know."

Labour MP Barry Gardiner defended the Prime Minister, arguing that as Leader of the Opposition at the time, Starmer had legitimate reasons for the meetings.


Rupert Lowe, Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer

"If you were at work and working in a socially distanced way, it was perfectly legitimate," Gardiner told GB News.

"This is the case of a politician's staff coming into Parliament and doing work," he added, insisting that public presentation was "an essential part" of the job.

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Barry Gardiner

The controversy erupted after revelations that Starmer designated a voice coach as a 'key worker' during strict Tier 4 Covid restrictions in December 2020.

The claims, made in a new book serialised in The Times, have prompted Conservative demands for an independent investigation.

The Prime Minister's spokesman today repeatedly refused to answer questions about the alleged breach, insisting he wouldn't "get into any matter to do with the opposition".

According to the book 'Get In', Starmer met with communications coach Leonie Mellinger at Labour headquarters during London's strict Tier 4 'Stay at Home' restrictions.


GB News panel

The meeting reportedly took place on Christmas Eve 2020, when government guidelines required non-essential workers to work from home.

The official list of key workers at the time covered frontline staff in health, social care and transport, with no mention of voice coaches.

At today's morning briefing, the Prime Minister's spokesman stonewalled all questions about the controversy.

Asked whether Starmer considered his voice coach a key worker, the spokesman replied: "I'm not going to get into any matter to do with the opposition, the Prime Minister is focussed on delivering the government's priorities."


The spokesman did confirm that Starmer is no longer using the services of former actress Leonie Mellinger or any other voice coach.

The controversy comes amid wider political challenges for Starmer's government, with polling expert John Curtice describing Labour's declining support as "remarkable".

Speaking to GB News, Curtice compared the situation to Labour's 1979 electoral defeat, noting: "I still think that this Government has lost support more quickly and heavily than any previous government."

The latest scandal follows a turbulent first six months for the PM, including controversies over winter fuel allowance cuts and inheritance tax changes.



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Former Tory Deputy Chairman ditches Britain for Ukraine as he enlists on the front lines to fight against Putin's troops


Former Conservative Party Deputy Chairman Jack Lopresti has joined Ukraine's International Legion to support the fight against Vladimir Putin's Russia.

The 55-year-old, who lost his seat for Filton and Bradley Stoke to Labour's Claire Hazelgrove in last year's election, has traded British politics for military service in Ukraine.


Lopresti, who previously served as a corporal in the UK Army Reserve, initially travelled to Ukraine in November to help a charity but had always intended to join the International Legion.

Based in Kyiv, Lopresti is not serving in a frontline infantry unit but instead carries out vital support work for the Ukrainian military.


\u200bJack Lopresti in Ukraine

His duties focus on foreign relations, diplomacy, weapons procurement and supporting veterans and charities operating in Ukraine.

"I constantly travel across Ukraine," Lopresti told The Independent, noting that in the past week, he had visited the cities of Kharkiv and Poltava in the country's east.

The law has recently changed to allow non-Ukrainians to become officers in Ukraine's army, with Lopresti's rank currently being processed. Last week, Lopresti joined a cross-party UK Parliamentary delegation travelling across Ukraine.

The group visited veterans rehabilitation centres, Kyiv's main children's hospital and Kremenchuk alongside the UK charity Hopefull. The delegation also held meetings with military commanders in Kharkiv, a city that has recently faced drone attacks.

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\u200bResidents leave from a site of apartment buildings hit by a Russian air strike
\u200bA drone view shows the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Poltava

Speaking about his role, Lopresti said: "It is a huge honour and an immense privilege for me to serve in the Ukrainian military and be able to help the gallant and amazing Ukrainian people in any way I can."

"They are not only fighting for their freedom and their right to exist as an independent and sovereign nation, they are also fighting for all of us, in Europe and the rest of the free world," he added.

He warned: "If Putin wins in Ukraine, we all know he won't stop there. Dictators have to be defeated, or they never stop."

The visit comes as Ukraine continues to face regular aerial assaults, with Ukrainian officials reporting that Russia launched 55 drones overnight into Sunday.


Putin
Former Conservative MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke Jack Lopresti with then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

The Foreign Office has warned that joining the Ukrainian International Legion is illegal, although it's unclear if this applies to non-combat volunteers.

The Government has not actively enforced this law, with numerous British volunteers serving in Ukraine.

The risks remain significant, highlighted by British volunteers being killed or captured by Russian forces. In November, when Lopresti travelled to Ukraine, another volunteer - reportedly James Scott Rhys Anderson, a 22-year-old former British army soldier - was captured.

Despite these dangers, Lopresti reports that Ukrainian morale remains high. "They are very determined indeed. A very resolute feeling," he said.



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Sunday, February 2, 2025

Trevor Noah takes dig at Donald Trump moments in Grammys 2025 monologue as he swipes at immigration tariffs


Trevor Noah wasted no time in taking a dig at newly elected President Donald Trump as he opened the 67th Grammy Awards on Sunday night.

The comedian first kicked off proceedings with a poignant tribute to Los Angeles following the devastating wildfires that have swept through the city.


The host, returning for his fifth consecutive year, acknowledged the scale of the disaster, noting that "tens of thousands of people have lost their homes" and "entire neighbourhoods have been erased".

"Despite all the devastation, the spirit of the city has emerged", Noah declared to the audience at the Crypto.com Arena.

The tribute was followed by a special performance of Randy Newman's I Love L.A., featuring an all-star lineup including John Legend, Brittany Howard, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent and Brad Paisley, fronted by Dawes.

Noah quickly moved on to addressing American politics, suggesting this might be his last time hosting "anything in this country" due to recent changes in Washington.


Grammys 2025: Trevor Noah

The comedian took aim at Trump's immigration policies, joking that Grammy winners were determined by "13,000 members of the Recording Academy and 20 million illegal immigrants".

His political commentary extended to Trump's tariffs when discussing Beyoncé's upcoming tour: "We can't afford a new tour. Maple syrup is about to be $50".

Away from his Trump jibes, Noah spent much of his opening monologue and pieces to camera throughout the show pleading for donations from viewers following the devastating LA fires.

The Grammy Awards ceremony doubled as a fundraising event to support those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires that claimed at least 25 lives and left thousands affected.


Grammys 2025: Trevor Noah

Direct Relief will provide support to residents, first responders, and local health centres in the affected areas.

The California Community Foundation has committed to aiding more than 100 local non-profits during the crisis.


Additional support will come from the Pasadena Community Foundation, which will assist impacted communities in Altadena and Pasadena.

It wasn't just Noah who had fans talking during Sunday's awards do in LA, with Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori sparking a reaction right from the red carpet.

Censori posed naked on the red carpet with the thinnest of ensembles doing little to cover up the 30-year-old.

During the ceremony itself, there were fierce debates over the likes of Beyonce and The Beatles winning two major awards while Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan also bagged their first Grammys.


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There was also a surprise comeback from The Weeknd following changes implemented by Grammy bosses, despite the singer previously vowing to boycott the awards over a "lack of trust".



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The Brexit victory EVERYONE is talking about - they just don't know it yet


Donald Trump has just slapped America's biggest trade partners with a triple-header tariff hike.

China, Canada and Mexico, in just a few days' time, will see their exports to the world's largest economy saddled with 25 per cent tariffs - all thanks to the executive orders of the Commander-in-Chief.


On the President's northern border, storm clouds are circling. Canada will retaliate against Trump's move with 25 per cent levies on a raft of US imports, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said late on Saturday night.

"From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you during your darkest hours," he said. "We've built the most successful economic, military and security partnership the world has ever seen."

"We didn't ask for this but we will not back down," Trudeau added.


Trump

And Trump isn't done yet. A trade war looms - and the Brussels bloc is next in the firing line.

"I will impose tariffs on the European Union. Absolutely, I will put tariffs on the EU," he said on Friday. "We'll be doing something very substantial on tariffs with the European Union."

Thanks to Brexit - which turned five on the same day Trump issued his EU threat - Britain is uniquely poised to dodge the opening salvos in the President's trade war.

Back in November, Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who despite his party allegiance is a personal associate of Trump, said he believed the then-President-elect would have "sympathy" with Britain's departure from the EU.

At the time, Murphy called it a "trade lane". Now, it looks more like a trade lifeline.

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Phil Murphy

Britain is uniquely poised to benefit from stepping back from the EU - but Sir Keir Starmer will be in its heart on Monday to continue his "relationship reset" with the bloc.

The Prime Minister's trip to Brussels has earnt the ire of Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice.

He told GB News: "Brexit has happened, but the dreams of many of us that fought for it and campaigned for it have not yet been realised.

"Keir Starmer does not have what it takes to build a mutually beneficial relationship with the US.

"He has embarrassed our country on the world stage, showing no control over our borders, a diminishing economy, blatant attacks on free speech, and cancelled elections.


Richard Tice

"Both the Conservatives and Labour have failed to properly implement Brexit, and have failed to build the kind of relationship with America that would be mutually beneficial for the both of us.

"With Reform UK in Government, Brexit will show its true colours and trade will be able to flourish.

"Reform UK has a unique advantage over any other party in terms of properly implementing Brexit.

"We have a better relationship with the US, with Trump's administration, and can organise better trade deals that do not have to revolve around the EU."

His remarks came following a week of landmark polls for Nigel Farage's party.

Seven nationwide voting intention surveys made headlines over recent days - some of which placed Reform in standalone first place.


Nigel Farage

"Reform UK are now ahead of the Conservatives in every major opinion poll for the first time. We are just getting started," Farage said - which Trump ally and tech tycoon Elon Musk hailed as "impressive" on X, his social media platform.

But any future Reform Government, barring a catastrophe for Labour, would still take four years to arrive - so in the meantime, Britain settle with Labour at the helm.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has urged the Prime Minister to resist the EU's clutches and establish a trade deal with the US instead.

And Farage, a friend of the President, has said Britain could side-step Trump's barrage of European tariffs entirely - but with conditions.

"We're in a very good position to negotiate our own way out not just of tariffs, but to move quite quickly onto some sectoral free trade negotiations," the Reform leader said.


Kemi Badenoch

"Trump's personal instinct on trade with the UK, I can tell you first-hand, has always been positive," he added.

"We've got fantastic opportunities to show our flexibility and why Brexit was a good idea, but Chagos would sink it."

And Reform's chairman Zia Yusuf pinpointed one key reason why Trump might let Brexit Britain off the hook.

Unlike Canada, China, the EU and Mexico, which all run enormous trade surpluses at the US's expense, the UK remains in a trade deficit with the US.

Writing on social media, Yusuf said: "Were it not for Brexit, the US would have imposed 25 per cent tariffs on UK goods.

"Make no mistake: the only reason the UK is not subject to US tariffs is because both countries report the US having a trade surplus with the UK.

"It's despite the awful relationship Starmer has with the new Trump administration."


Donald Trump

"Trump's 25 per cent tariffs on the EU will cripple already withering EU economies," Yusuf added. "These tariffs make the idea the UK should forge a closer union with the EU a quick-fire path to 25 per cent tariffs on UK goods. Thank goodness for Brexit!"

Despite running a trans-Atlantic trade deficit, steering clear of American levies will help protect Britain's trade with its largest single trading partner.

The US ranked first for exports at £188.2billion in the year ending June 2024 - representing a staggering 22.1 per cent of all goods and services heading out of the UK.

And America still ranked first for imports over the same period, with £116.1billion representing 13.2 per cent of Britain's overall haul.

But recent Downing Street statements suggest that Starmer looks set to infuriate Trump by "committing" the UK to the surrender the strategic Chagos Islands.

Farage has hinted at using his own "special relationship" with the President to help the UK side-step Trump's tariffs.

That would represent a follow-through to the Reform leader's 2024 hint at taking on the role of trans-Atlantic "interlocutor" - despite the imminent appointment of Labour grandee Lord Mandelson as British ambassador.

So in the face of Mandelson's stint in Washington, it appears that Brexit could pay dividends yet.



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Scotland set for biggest pro-independence majority in HISTORY as voters reject 'imploding' Labour


Scotland is on course to return the largest pro-independence majority in Holyrood's history as Labour support dramatically collapses, according to a new poll.

The survey by Find Out Now reveals a stark reversal of fortunes for Scottish Labour, which now risks an historic backslide at next year's election.


And its findings suggest pro-independence parties the SNP, Alba and Scottish Greens would secure 74 of the Scottish Parliament's 129 seats, marking the highest such tally ever recorded.

The SNP is projected to secure 31 per cent of the constituency vote and 25 per cent on the regional list - translating to 51 Holyrood seats.


Starmer and Sarwar

Labour's support has fallen to just 19 per cent in constituencies and 15 per cent on the regional ballot.

This would result in Labour winning only 16 seats, a drop of six from their previous record low in 2021.

And despite the poll suggesting the SNP will lose a fraction of its 62 MSPs, it would still emerge as the largest party in Holyrood.

The Conservatives, Greens and Liberal Democrats are each predicted to win 15 seats in Holyrood, according to Sir John Curtice's analysis.

Reform UK and Alba are also expected to make breakthroughs, with projections showing nine and eight MSPs respectively.

MORE LABOUR BLOWS:


SNP leader John Swinney

This distribution would result in pro-independence parties holding 74 of the parliament's 129 seats - an unprecedented majority.

However, the SNP's projected 51 seats would mark their lowest tally since 2007, when the party was led by Alex Salmond.

The dramatic shift comes just months after Labour's Westminster triumph over the SNP in July, when Anas Sarwar was widely tipped to become the first Unionist First Minister in almost two decades.

But since then, Labour has "imploded" - which polling guru Sir John Curtice attributes to unpopular decisions by Sir Keir Starmer in London.

"It goes to show how the worst thing that ever happened to Anas Sarwar was Keir Starmer becoming Prime Minister," Curtice said.


Starmer

"The SNP finds itself where it is basically because Labour support has imploded," he added.

SNP deputy leader Keith Brown welcomed the poll results, stating it would see "the SNP return to government alongside the largest pro-independence majority the Scottish Parliament has ever seen."

He added: "Labour can promise plenty in an election, but they cannot deliver in Government. If Labour can't be trusted in London, they can't be trusted in Edinburgh."

But Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie responded by saying her party would "work tirelessly" to earn voters' trust.

"Labour has put an end to 14 years of Tory chaos and is working to fix the foundations and transform our country," she said.



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Saturday, February 1, 2025

Donald Trump green-lights mass tariff rollout against China, Mexico and Canada in TRIPLE executive order


Donald Trump has signed three executive orders green-lighting trade tariffs against China, Mexico and Canada.

The tariffs are worth up to 25 per cent on all imports to the US - and could be just the start of a trade war with America's biggest importers.


A White House official said on Saturday that the executive orders would also contain "retaliation clauses", so that if a country tried to retaliate with tariffs on US products, it would face further tariff hikes in return.

While Trump, writing on Truth Social, said: "This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our citizens, including fentanyl.


Trump

"We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all.

"I made a promise on my campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favour of it."

Canada will now be subject to a 25 per cent tax on all imports to the US - except on energy products, which will only see a 10 per cent tariff.

Mexico - the US's second-largest trade partner - will see a blanket 25 per cent tariff.

LATEST ON DONALD TRUMP:


Xi Jinping

And China, the largest importer to the US by over $100billion, will be subjected to a 10 per cent rate on all imports, on top of existing levies.

The White House says the triple move is designed to crack down on a national emergency over fentanyl and illegal migration - and has vowed that there will be no exclusions from the tariffs.

Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said yesterday that the tariffs were revenge "for illegal fentanyl they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country, which has killed tens of millions of Americans".

Also on Friday, Trump had himself said: "There could be some temporary, short-term disruption, and people will understand that.


Von der Leyen

"But the tariffs are going to make us very rich and very strong," he added.

"And we're going to treat other countries very fairly."

And five years on from Brexit, the UK could be poised to dodge a trade bullet - with Trump also vowing to slap the EU with fresh tariffs.

"I will impose tariffs on the European Union. Absolutely, I will put tariffs on the EU," he said. "We'll be doing something very substantial on tariffs with the European Union."



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Labour building 'secret anti-Reform database' in desperate bid to take down surging Nigel Farage


Labour is building a "secret anti-Reform database" in a bid to undermine a surging Nigel Farage-led Reform UK, according to a new report.

Downing Street-aligned think tank Labour Together is plotting to turn the party against Reform rather than Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives, The Sun reports.


It follows a week where Reform has polled higher than the Tories in every single national survey - with some placing Nigel Farage's party in standalone first place.

With Reform apparently edging closer to its goal of representing the "real opposition" while Sir Keir Starmer sits in No10, Labour Together will work with Downing Street to launch attacks on Farage's party.


Farage

The think tank's CEO Jonathan Ashworth - who lost his seat to a pro-Gaza independent at the General Election last summer - is said to be leading the charge.

He said: "Nigel Farage screeches like a banshee when put under scrutiny. 2025 is the year when we shine the torch on him.

"He's called for charges in the NHS - and our polling at Labour Together shows this to be his Achilles Heel.

"While the Tories continue to slump, Labour Together is turning its firepower to helping Labour candidates take on and ultimately defeat Reform."

MORE ON REFORM UK:


Jonathan Ashworth

The think tank is also reported to be building a "secret anti-Reform database" tracking everything the party does to help them work out the best strategy - while Health Secretary Wes Streeting has already directly lashed out at the party.

He told a Fabian Society conference last week: "I can't think of a more potent antidote to Farage's miserabilism than proving the cynics wrong and getting the NHS delivering world class care.

"We can defeat Farage by turning around the NHS.

"The populist right are coming for us. We need to be serious about beating them."


Wes Streeting

So far, Farage has been dismissive - after Streeting's remarks, he said: "If the Labour Party want to give me free publicity, I look forward to it with relish."

And today, he and Reform's top brass headed to traditional Labour heartlands in the North East to lay down the gauntlet.

Addressing a packed venue in Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, Farage welcomed two more Conservative defectors to his party.

Joe Quinn and Cathy Hunt were former Durham County Council Tories, and take Reform's numbers in the authority up to three.



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Donald Trump issues chilling 9-word threat to Isis after US military kills 'multiple operatives' in air strikes


Donald Trump has issued a chilling threat to Isis terrorists and "all others who would attack Americans" after a series of precision air strikes this morning.

On Saturday, the US Africa Command killed "multiple operatives" hiding out in Isis caves in Somalia with no civilian casualties, America's Department of Defense said.


And in response, the President launched into a tirade at Isis, Joe Biden and his "cronies".

"This morning, I ordered precision military air strikes on the Senior Isis Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia," Trump wrote on social media.


Trump

"These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our allies.

"The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.

"Our Military has targeted this Isis Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn't act quickly enough to get the job done. I did!

"The message to Isis and all others who would attack Americans is that 'WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'"

LATEST ON DONALD TRUMP:


US F15

The President's message has been hailed by supporters - Republicans Overseas UK chairman Greg Swenson told GB News: "I thought his statement was brilliant - direct and honest. Unfiltered but patriotic."

Trump did not name any of the people targeted in the strikes, say whether the "Attack Planner" target was among those killed, or give further details about the location in Somalia.

And the US Department of Defense said the strikes were ordered by Trump himself and coordinated with Somalia's government.

"This action further degrades Isis's ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians, and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies, even as we conduct robust border-protection and many other operations under President Trump's leadership," a statement said.


Greg Swenson

US military officials have warned that Isis cells have been taking ever-increasing leadership from terror group bosses who have moved to northern Somalia.

That has included learning how to kidnap Westerners for ransom, better military tactics, how to hide from drones and how to build their own small "quadcopters".

It's thought that there are hundreds of Isis militants in Somalia - mostly scattered in the country's Cal Miskaat mountains, according to the International Crisis Group.



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