Category: News Story

NEWS STORY

In one of the most substantial and politically charged law enforcement operations in recent memory, London’s Metropolitan Police arrested over 500 demonstrators during a protest in Parliament Square supporting the recently proscribed group, Palestine Action. Despite the emotionally charged atmosphere, the police response has been widely praised for its professionalism and restraint.

Reports confirm that as many as 532 arrests were made, many of them for displaying support for the banned organisation, now illegal under anti‑terror laws enacted just last month. Protesters marched defiantly, brandishing placards reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”, and banging pot lids in clear defiance of the prohibition. Police had issued prior warnings that anyone publicly supporting a proscribed group could face arrest. Notably, nearly half of those arrested were aged 60 or older, with the sight of elderly individuals being led away prompted widespread debate on the appropriateness of policing tactics in such contexts.

Despite the contentious backdrop, police officers maintained a calm and professional bearing throughout. Even when faced with pot-banging and chants, there was no indication of heavy-handed force or reactionary use of excessive force despite the many arrests. Outside observers have underscored a troubling tension with the Government’s invocation of anti-terror legislation to suppress support for a group that, until recently, had been openly campaigning for its cause.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said in a statement:

“Many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear – this is not a non-violent organisation.”

STORY

Expelled Reform MP Rupert Lowe has been criticised after mistakenly reporting a team of charity rowers as suspected migrants approaching the Norfolk coast. Lowe posted a photo online of a vessel near wind turbines off Great Yarmouth on Thursday evening, warning of “dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW” and vowing to “use every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported”.

In reality, the boat belonged to ROW4MND, a four-man crew rowing from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise funds for motor neurone disease research. The team, which included former Royal Marine Mike Bates, said they were surprised to be mistaken for migrants, particularly given the size of their ocean-going vessel and the fact Great Yarmouth is not the most direct route from Calais.

Lowe contacted the coastguard over his concerns. After being informed of the mix-up, he pledged £1,000 to the charity, saying he wanted to support their cause despite the misunderstanding.

Critics have accused the former MP of overreacting and failing to verify basic details before making public accusations. One campaigner noted that charity crews in clearly marked rowing boats are “not generally a covert means of illegal entry”.

The rowers have since continued their journey, having raised more than £100,000 for research. For Rupert Lowe, the incident is the latest in a series of controversies since leaving Reform UK.

NEWS STORY

In a dramatic and widely criticised move, Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali resigned today after revelations that she evicted tenants from her East London property, allegedly to sell it, only to promptly relist the home for rent at a £700 (21%) higher price. This episode has drawn fierce condemnation for its apparent hypocrisy, especially given Ali’s prior stance in support of tenant protections.

Ali has claimed she fully adhered to legal requirements, signalling in her resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer that remaining in her ministerial role risks distracting from the government’s housing agenda. Her departure is seen as a severe blow to Labour’s credibility, coming at a sensitive time with the Renters’ Rights Bill nearing its final stages in Parliament, a law set to ban landlords from evicting tenants only to immediately hike rents. Critics argue that her personal conduct directly undermines the policy she oversaw and has challenged the integrity of MPs, with calls for her to leave the House of Commons.

Opposition voices were quick to condemn Ali, with Kevin Hollinrake, chairman of the Conservative Party, calling the move “staggering hypocrisy”, pointing out that Ali’s actions were “one rule for Labour and another for everyone else.” Housing advocates were equally scathing, Shelter’s policy director dismissed the saga as “a damning reminder that the cards are fundamentally stacked against renters.”

The MP’s conduct is yet another setback for Prime Minister Starmer’s Government, which has already seen multiple ministerial resignations in just over a year. With public trust undermined and the government trailing in the polls, Ali’s resignation raises fresh questions about the party’s moral authority and integrity.

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The Government is facing mounting criticism over its decision to restrict civil service internships exclusively to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, a move that ministers say is designed to create a more representative Whitehall but which opponents argue amounts to discrimination by background. Under new rules set to be introduced from 2026, the main internship scheme for university students will be limited to those whose parents held certain types of jobs when they were 14. Ministers say this will help diversify the civil service and open up opportunities for young people who might otherwise be overlooked.

The scheme, which pays £430 a week and provides up to eight weeks of experience inside government departments, will now explicitly exclude students from middle and upper-income households regardless of their academic credentials or suitability for the role.

Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood (in photo) slammed the move as “leftist social engineering”, warning it sends the message that unless a young person comes from the ‘right’ background, they need not apply. “No young person should be told they’re not welcome based solely on their parents’ profession,” Wood said. “We believe in opportunity based on what you can do, not where you come from.”

The change has been led by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden, who defended the move, saying the civil service must reflect the country it serves. “Government makes better decisions when it represents and understands the people we serve” he said. But critics argue the new system risks replacing one kind of unfairness with another and suggested that rather than broadening access based on merit the reform introduces a rigid social filter, effectively barring thousands of students on the basis of their family background and damaging community cohesion.

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Former Conservative MP Adam Holloway, who represented Gravesham in Kent from 2005 until losing his seat in 2024, has officially joined Reform UK. Holloway, a former Grenadier Guards officer and briefly a Government whip under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, explained the move as a response to what he sees as the UK’s growing national peril and said:

“The issue is the country has serious social and economic problems, and potentially an economic disaster in the next couple of years during a time of great global insecurity.”

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, said:

“His bold move shows that we are the only serious option in Kent and is testament to the fantastic work our councillors are delivering across the region.”

STORY

Palestine Action, the controversial direct action network, has been granted permission to appeal the government’s decision to proscribe it as a terrorist organisation. The legal challenge centres on the Home Secretary’s power to proscribe organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000. Palestine Action’s legal team argues that the criteria for proscription were not met and that the decision was disproportionate, infringing on the right to protest and freedom of expression. The group maintains that its actions, while disruptive and causing significant financial damage, are acts of civil disobedience and not terrorism.

A spokesperson for Palestine Action welcomed the decision, stating it was a victory for free speech and a step towards accountability for what they describe as politically motivated targeting. They expressed confidence that the appeal would expose flaws in the government’s proscription process. Conversely, the Home Office reiterated its stance that the proscription was made after a rigorous assessment of all available evidence, and that the organisation’s activities met the legal definition of terrorism. A spokesperson stated that “the government remains committed to protecting national security and will robustly defend its decision in the upcoming appeal.”

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British Masters athlete and world sprint champion Rick Beardsell has received an 18-month suspended prison sentence for fraudulently obtaining £100,000 in Covid-19 Bounce Back Loans. Beardsell, aged 46, used a significant portion of the funds to help purchase a £1.3 million home in a Cheshire village, rather than for the benefit of his sportswear manufacturing business, Sports Creative Limited.

The Insolvency Service revealed on 23 July 2025 that Beardsell secured two £50,000 Bounce Back Loans in 2020 and 2021, despite businesses being eligible for only one. He also substantially inflated his company’s turnover in the applications. The funds were transferred into his personal bank account, with £431,160 paid to solicitors for the Prestbury property. Additionally, he transferred cash to family members and made mortgage payments for a previous house, placing the money beyond the reach of creditors.

Appearing at Chester Crown Court on 22 July 2025, Beardsell was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £11,152. Beardsell had repaid the full £100,000 earlier this year, following his guilty plea but prior to sentencing.

STORY

A former police officer, Che Homersham, has had his sentence for misconduct in public office more than tripled following a review by the Court of Appeal. The decision, announced on 22 July 2025, saw Homersham’s original six-month imprisonment extended to 18 months after the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

Homersham, aged 37 and from Southgate in North London, was initially sentenced on 13 May 2025. The court heard that he initiated an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl he met while on duty. He contacted the vulnerable teenager from his personal phone under the guise of taking a personal statement, before driving her to a remote location and making unwanted advances. This marked the beginning of a relationship spanning several years, during which Homersham described sexual fantasies and continued to make sexual advances.

The misconduct came to light in August 2023 when Homersham was arrested for an unrelated matter, and his text messages to the victim were uncovered. In a victim personal statement, the girl expressed that Homersham’s actions had severely impacted her trust in others and her perception of the police. Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision, stating that Homersham had abused his position as a police officer, a role that rightly commands public trust. The ULS scheme allows for cases where a sentence appears to be significantly below what it should be to be referred to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration. This successful referral underscores the commitment to ensuring that those who abuse positions of trust face appropriate justice.

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The UK Government has launched a groundbreaking sanctions regime, the first of its kind globally, aimed at dismantling organised criminal gangs responsible for facilitating irregular migration. Announced by the Foreign Secretary on 22 July 2025, the new powers enable the freezing of assets and travel bans for anyone complicit in people smuggling to the UK.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that this marks a “landmark moment” in the Government’s efforts to combat organised immigration crime. He emphasised that the sanctions are designed to reach individuals anywhere in the world, making it illegal for the UK financial system to engage with them. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added that the regime will allow the UK to target the assets and operations of people-smugglers wherever they operate, cutting off their funding and dismantling their networks.

The new regime complements existing law enforcement efforts and new powers introduced through the Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. It is part of the government’s broader ‘Plan for Change’ and a three-pronged strategy to “disrupt, deter, return” irregular migration globally. The Border Security Command has received a significant budget boost to fund specialist investigators and new technology to further disrupt these criminal operations.

The government asserts that the exploitation of vulnerable people by these criminal networks is a key driver of irregular migration to the UK. With nearly 24,000 migrants having made the perilous journey across the Channel so far in 2025, the issue remains a significant challenge. The new sanctions aim to send a clear message that there is “no hiding place” for those who profit from human misery.

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Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has officially launched a new political party, aiming to challenge the established political landscape and offer a “real alternative” for voters. However, the announcement was immediately met with confusion regarding the party’s actual name, a detail that appears to be still under wraps. Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP for Islington North, made the announcement alongside fellow independent MP Zarah Sultana. In a joint statement, they declared it was “time for a new kind of political party” rooted in communities, trade unions, and social movements, advocating for a “mass redistribution of wealth and power” and a commitment to a “free and independent Palestine.”

Despite the bold declaration of intent, the party’s official designation remained unclear. While a website, yourparty.uk, was promoted for sign-ups, Ms Sultana quickly took to social media to clarify, stating unequivocally: “It’s not called Your Party!” Sources close to Mr Corbyn later indicated that ‘Your Party’ was merely an interim name, intended to kickstart the democratic founding process, with the formal name to be decided in consultation with new members at an inaugural conference. Mr Corbyn himself, when pressed on the name, suggested the response rate for suggestions had been “massive” with “500 a minute wanting to support and join the new party.”

This naming ambiguity has led to a flurry of comments and light-hearted mockery from political observers and rival parties. Nevertheless, Mr Corbyn insisted the launch was “not messy at all” and represented a “totally coherent approach” to building a grassroots, democratic movement. The formation of this new left-wing party is expected to create a fresh challenge for the Labour Party, particularly under current leader Keir Starmer, who has faced criticism from the left of his party on issues such as welfare policy and the conflict in Gaza.