Sunak says family visa salary threshold will rise in 2025 following anger from Tory MPs

Rishi Sunak has said the higher threshold for a family visa will rise in 2025 after he came under fire from Tory MPs for rowing back on plans to introduce it next spring.

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Home Office rows back on plans to hike family visa salary threshold

The Home Office has rowed back on plans to increase the salary threshold for Britons wishing to bring a family member to the UK following a backlash.

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Braverman savages Sunak's new sentencing plans with demands for automatic jail for worst offenders

Suella Braverman has warned that new sentencing guidelines by Rishi Sunak will put public safety at risk.

The former home secretary has now called for automatic jail terms for prolific offenders.

The former home secretary said plans to let offenders facing jail terms of less than 12 months serve their punishment in the community were “misguided”.

She added the plans failed to tackle prolific offenders who were responsible for a disproportionate number of crimes, yet who often escaped justice.

Writing in The Telegraph, she said: "The Sentencing Bill aims to ease pressure on the prison estate, but in my opinion will put public safety at risk, place an undue burden on the police and probation service, and potentially lead to an increase in crime.

"In particular, clause 6 of the Bill effectively bans short sentences, that is sentences under 12 months. The Bill, as a whole, also misses the opportunity to bolster penalties for repeat offenders. This is misguided for several reasons.

"Firstly, most crimes are committed by a relatively small proportion of offenders. They wreak havoc and blight communities. As a recent Policy Exchange report found, citing Ministry of Justice data, “prolific offenders” made up more than half of all convictions between 2000 and 2021 despite representing only nine per cent of the nearly six million people convicted of committing a criminal offence.

"Their impact on communities is hugely disproportionate to their number but for 52.7 per cent of convictions they were not sentenced to a term of imprisonment at all. We need to toughen up the law to deal with these career criminals."

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Braverman has now proposed criminals who have hit 45 crimes should face a mandatory two-year custodial sentence each time they are convicted of a further serious offence.

A “five strikes and out” amendment has also been tabled by the former home secretary would require immediate jail sentences to be the starting point for any criminal who committed a fifth successive offence.

She added: “Jail time must be used to deter would-be criminals and public safety must come first."

The Bill, announced by Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, in October, brings with it a legal presumption that offenders on facing sentences of under 12 months will have them suspended.

Instead, they will be made to do unpaid community work as their "punishment".

Offenders will be fitted with electronic, GPS, alcohol or drug tags and placed under curfews of up to 20 hours a day at weekends.

Anyone who breaches their suspended sentence would then return to court where they would then have to serve their full term in prison.

Braverman also said that short term sentences were imperative in dissuading criminals to reoffend.

She said: "Secondly, short sentences are an important deterrent against criminality. Without the stint of a few months in prison, many of these criminals will no doubt go on to reoffend. The deterrence of custody will be removed entirely, the incentive to desist from criminality will evaporate and victims will be failed."

An MoJ impact assessment report shows that an average of 3,700 low-level criminals will be spared jail time due to the new plans.

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Colorado attorney who helped oust Trump opens door for Biden scrutiny: ‘NO ONE is exempt’

A Colorado attorney who argued in favour of a ruling removing Donald Trump from the state’s ballot has suggested Biden is open for scrutiny.

Speaking on GB News, Eric Olson was asked by Patrick Christys about the US President’s perceived cognitive issues.

The GB News presenter asked whether the court will examine whether the US President is fit for office given his apparent mental decline.

Olson said there is a “mechanism” in place for people unfit for office to be removed, should it ever be needed.

He added there is no political bias in the constitution and while Trump has suffered from its guidelines on this occasion, it could be a Democrat in the future.

“Our constitution applies to everyone”, he said.

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“There is a mechanism for people to remove a sitting president if they are incapable of doing their job.

“That mechanism applies to Democrats and Republicans alike. There is no party that can exempt itself from that Constitution.”

Olson added that the ruling sets an “important legal precedent” for anybody standing for office.

“No one is above the law”, he told Christys.

“Our constitution applies to all of us. That is what makes our country great.

“If Joe Biden engaged in an insurrection, absolutely he should never hold office again.”

Tuesday’s decision has been placed on hold pending appeal until next month.

The ruling only applies in Colorado, but similar attempts to boot Trump off the ballot in New Hampshire, Minnesota and Michigan have failed.

The court ruled 4-3 that Trump was not an eligible candidate because he had engaged in an insurrection over the US Capitol riot nearly three years ago.

Trump remains able to run in other states while his campaign have labelled the decision “completely flawed”.

The justices wrote in their ruling: "We do not reach these conclusions lightly. We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us.

"We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favour, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach."

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‘I was SICKENED!’ Sadiq Khan blasted by Howard Cox as London Mayor scuppers plan to let Ukraine benefit from Ulez

Sadiq Khan deeming a scheme to send non-Ulez compliant was to Ukraine is “sickening”, Reform Party London Mayoral candidate Howard Cox has claimed.

The London Mayor was facing calls to allow polluting 4x4s to be donated to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

While a spokesman for Khan said the mayor “utterly appalled” by Russia’s actions, exporting vehicles to Ukraine is “not possible within the currently limits of the GLA [Greater London Authority] Act.

Speaking on GB News, Cox told Martin Daubney that Khan is guilty of nit-picking as his office scuppered the plan.

“It is time up for Sadiq Khan”, he said.

“Whether it’s the Conservatives winning or Reform UK, that man has got to go.

“Most of these vehicles just don’t meet the targets that Khan has put in dishonestly.

“As far as I’m concerned, what a great idea. Very creative.

“I think every single one of those vehicles should be filled with medical supplies and driven over to Ukraine to help.

“But that man used a stupid little legal detail to say ‘it’s not going to benefit London issues’, it sickens me.

“My emails are overflowing with people saying, ‘for God’s sake, get rid of that man’.”

Khan’s spokesman said in a statement: “The mayor is utterly appalled by Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine and the capital stands in solidarity with the millions of Ukrainians affected by this awful war.

“The mayor’s team have been in contact with their counterparts in Kyiv since the start of the war and the mayor remains determined to help in any way he can.

“Unfortunately, altering the Ulez scheme for the purpose of exporting vehicles to Ukraine is not possible within the current limits of the GLA [Greater London Authority] Act.

“However, Sadiq has asked his officials to work directly with Mayor Klitschko’s team to see how we can help promote this initiative from Ukrainian charities and the GLA also continues to work with its functional bodies and will support them in any vehicle donations that they can make through national donation schemes.

“The GLA will also continue to monitor opportunities which may arise through such schemes.”

Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, is said to have written to Khan in September and suggest the vehicles be donated, adding the act could have “live-saving” values.

According to the Telegraph, Khan responded this week to say the plan does not meet the “legal threshold” that requires the scheme to benefit Londoners from an “economic, social and environmental perspective”.

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'Desperate' Sunak slapped down by statistics watchdog for wrongly claiming debt is falling

Rishi Sunak has been chastised by the UK's statistics watchdog for claiming to have reduced public debt - despite not having done so.

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WATCH: Michael Fabricant hits out at airlines for 'jumping on the woke bandwagon' over Rwanda refusal

Sir Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP has slammed airlines for "jumping on the woke bandwagon" and refusing to join the Rwanda deal.

Airlines have reportedly refused to sign any contracts with the Home Office to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda, amid concerns they could face reputational damage if the deportation plan gets off the ground.

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