Category: News Story

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has come under fire after claiming that migrants are stealing swans and carp from London parks and consuming them, a claim for which Royal Parks says there is no evidence.

During an interview on LBC, Farage said: “If I said to you that swans were being eaten in Royal Parks … and carps were being taken out of ponds and eaten … would you agree that is happening here?”, when pressed on who might be doing this, he responded: “People who come from countries where it’s quite acceptable to do so.” He added that he “believes” migrants from Eastern Europe might be involved.

Royal Parks, which manages London’s eight main parks including Hyde Park and Richmond Park, issued a clear rebuttal. A spokesperson said they have not received any reports of people killing or eating swans: “We’ve not had any incidents reported to us of people killing or eating swans in London’s eight Royal Parks. Our wildlife officers work closely with the Swan Sanctuary to ensure the welfare of the swans across the parks.”

The controversy echoes earlier claims made in the U.S. by former President Donald Trump, who alleged immigrants were eating cats and dogs. Critics have labelled Farage’s remarks xenophobic and irresponsible.

In past years, mutilated swans have been found in London parks, but investigations have not established any connection with these claims. In 2003, Scotland Yard looked into allegations of swan theft and cooking, but no arrests or convictions followed.

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His Majesty’s Government has appointed Simon Wood as the new British Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, succeeding Dr David Ellis OBE who is retiring from the Diplomatic Service. Mr Wood will take up the post in September 2025.

Wood joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1998 and has since held a wide range of senior positions in the UK and overseas. He most recently served as Deputy Director of the North-East Asia and China Directorate at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office between 2023 and 2024. Before that he was Deputy Director of Strategic Communications in 2022. From 2017 to 2021 he was HM Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, having earlier worked as Deputy Head of Mission in Copenhagen between 2010 and 2014.

His experience also includes postings in Tokyo, where he was First Secretary and Head of Media and Communications between 2007 and 2010 and Second Secretary for Trade Promotion from 2001 to 2004.

Dr Ellis leaves the post after a long diplomatic career, with the Foreign Office thanking him for his service. The appointment comes at a time when relations with North Korea remain limited and closely managed, with the new ambassador expected to continue efforts to maintain dialogue and represent the UK’s interests in the region.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed Lord Peter Mandelson from his post as UK Ambassador to the United States following a flurry of damaging disclosures about his relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed that newly released emails show Mandelson’s ties with Epstein were far deeper than previously understood. These include intimate correspondence from 2008, in which Mandelson offered emotional support to Epstein after his conviction for procuring underage prostitution, and urged him to “fight for early release.”

Further stoking the controversy was a message in a 2003 birthday tribute booklet compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, in which Mandelson referred to Epstein as “my best pal.” Downing Street had previously defended Mandelson, who was appointed ambassador in February 2025, insisting he had been vetted. However, the mounting backlash, including across-party criticism, forced the Prime Minister to act decisively.

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Commuters across the capital are bracing for major travel chaos as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union launches a rolling strike across the London Underground, causing widespread disruptions and testing London’s resilience. The strike began on Sunday 7 September and is due to last until Thursday 11 September, with minimal services reported on the first day and virtually no Tube operations expected for the following four days. The network may only begin returning to normal on Friday.

All Underground lines are affected, from the Central and Northern to the Victoria and Jubilee, while the Docklands Light Railway will also be shut on 9 and 11 September. The Elizabeth line, London Overground and trams continue to run but are expected to be heavily overcrowded as passengers scramble for alternatives. The RMT has justified the action with demands for a reduced 32-hour week, improved fatigue management, safer shift patterns and better pay, pointing to long-standing staffing shortages since 2018.

Transport for London argues it has already made a reasonable offer of a 3.4% pay rise in line with inflation, one it insists is affordable, but says that cutting working hours would cost hundreds of millions. TfL has urged the union to put its proposals to members rather than impose blanket disruption, though talks remain deadlocked. The strike has already rippled beyond commuters. Concerts by Coldplay and Post Malone have been rescheduled from this week due to the near impossibility of moving large numbers of fans safely across London. Businesses, schools and service providers are meanwhile preparing for days of chaos as staff struggle to travel.

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Following the resignation of Angela Rayner, Keir Starmer has appointed David Lammy as the new Deputy Prime Minister, with Yvette Cooper moving to the Foreign Office and Shabana Mahmood becoming Home Secretary. Steve Reed becomes the new Housing Secretary, with further appointments expected later today.

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In a dramatic turn of events on the eve of Reform UK’s annual conference in Birmingham, former Conservative MP and ex-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has officially joined the insurgent party led by Nigel Farage. She delivered a stark verdict on her former party, declaring that “the Tory Party is dead.” Dorries, who represented Mid Bedfordshire from 2005 until her resignation in 2023, said the decision to defect was made after “12 agonising months” of soul-searching. In her column for the Daily Mail, she said the Conservative Party has changed, not her core beliefs, and that only Nigel Farage has, in her words, “the answers, the knowledge and the will to deliver.”

Her announcement lands as a significant boost to Reform UK, which is currently riding high in the polls. Dorries is slated to deliver the opening speech at the party’s two-day conference, signalling immediate integration into their campaign efforts. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warmly welcomed her, praising her experience as both a politician and broadcaster, and describing her arrival as a “great boost” to the party.

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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has admitted to underpaying stamp duty on a second-flat—purchasing an £800,000 property in Hove and paying the standard rate rather than the surcharge reserved for additional residences.

Rayner, who also serves as Housing Secretary, acknowledged the error today. She explained that she had relied on legal advice suggesting she was liable only for the standard stamp duty rate when she bought the Hove flat in May 2025, because at the time she had transferred her stake in her Greater Manchester home into a trust. However, further counsel revealed that the trust’s provisions meant she—or her children—could still benefit from the Greater Manchester property, meaning the Hove flat should have been classified as a second home, triggering the higher stamp duty of up to around £70,000 rather than the approximately £30,000 she paid—a difference of roughly £40,000.

Rayner has voluntarily referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards to examine whether her actions breached the Ministerial Code. She has also contacted HM Revenue & Customs to determine and pay any additional tax owed, acknowledging the error and expressing regret. Keir Starmer has publicly defended Rayner, praising her transparency and noting that she had gone above and beyond by challenging a court confidentiality order in order to explain the circumstances fully.

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The UK has announced £1 million in emergency funding for families hit by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, with the money split equally between the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Ministers said the support will fund mobile health teams, emergency medical kits, dignity kits and temporary shelters, alongside IFRC search-and-rescue efforts and ambulance deployments. All assistance will be routed through humanitarian partners to ensure it reaches people in need and not the Taliban authorities.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the situation in Kunar province “truly tragic” and said the package would help partners deliver “critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most hard-hit,” praising aid workers operating in difficult conditions. The government added that mountainous terrain and recent flooding have hampered access to stricken communities, compounding a wider crisis in which more than 23 million Afghans already require assistance.

The government’s press release cited a death toll of more than 800 at the time of publication, but international agencies and media now report that fatalities have surpassed 1,400 with thousands injured, as rescuers reach remote districts and aftershocks and landslides complicate relief.

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Keir Starmer has created a new Downing Street role and appointed Labour frontbencher Darren Jones as Chief Secretary (Minister of State) to the Prime Minister, tasking him with driving delivery across government and reporting directly to No 10. The post will attend Cabinet. At the same time, Starmer has brought in Baroness (Minouche) Shafik as his Chief Economic Adviser, adding heavyweight economic counsel at the centre as MPs return from summer recess.

Downing Street said the Chief Secretary will work across departments to accelerate progress on the government’s priorities and “Plan for Change” while Shafik will advise the Prime Minister on economic affairs. Shafik is a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF and ex–Permanent Secretary at DFID and she later led the LSE and Columbia University before stepping down from the latter in 2024.

The move forms part of a broader shake-up at the top of government and the Cabinet Office confirmed that James Murray replaces Jones as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, with Daniel Tomlinson moving into the Treasury ministerial team, changes aligned with reports of a tighter Downing Street operation as the government prepares for an intense autumn.

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The government has unveiled a back-to-school push to cut disruption in classrooms and improve attendance, promising new support hubs for thousands of schools and a louder role for parents in getting children into lessons. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said “mums, dads and carers” must be part of a “united effort” to ensure pupils are “in class and ready to learn”. Under plans announced on Sunday, 800 schools educating around 600,000 pupils will join new RISE Attendance and Behaviour Hubs this term, sharing approaches from high-performing leaders. In total, up to 5,000 schools are expected to benefit, with the 500 most in need receiving intensive, targeted help. Behaviour specialist Tom Bennett and education leader Jayne Lowe have been appointed as Attendance and Behaviour Ambassadors to help shape the programme.

Ministers say the push responds to mounting concerns over lost learning time and staff wellbeing. A new government survey covering the 2023/24 year found 78% of teachers reported poor behaviour harmed their health, while analysis suggests “seven out of every 30 classroom minutes” are being lost to disruption. Phillipson said progress had already been made, citing five million more days in school last year and 140,000 fewer pupils classed as persistently absent, the biggest year-on-year improvement in a decade. The department says that uplift equates to roughly 1,000 classes learning full time for a year and could protect more than £2 billion in pupils’ future earnings. Further measures will be set out in a forthcoming schools white paper, with the Department for Education signalling tighter expectations on behaviour alongside continued support and accountability for schools. The package sits alongside commitments on free breakfast clubs, expanded mental-health support and capital funding to improve the school estate.