Tag: News Story

STORY

The UK and the European Union are today expected to sign what leaders described as the most significant overhaul of their relationship since Brexit, securing agreements on defence, trade and fisheries at a summit in London. Under the deal, the UK will grant EU fishing vessels access to British waters for 12 years, up from a previously proposed five-year term, in a concession aimed at removing cumbersome border checks that have hampered UK food exporters since 2020. In return, the EU agreed to an open-ended veterinary accord that will ease sanitary inspections on UK-bound agricultural products, helping safeguard food and drink trade.

A cornerstone of the reset is a new defence and security pact that opens the door for British firms to participate in a €150 billion European rearmament fund, reflecting London’s bid to bolster collective European security amid rising geopolitical tensions. The agreement also lays the groundwork for a limited youth mobility scheme and faster e-gate access for UK travellers at EU airports, though details of each programme will be negotiated in the coming months. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the package as a “common-sense, practical solution” that will cut red tape and deliver economic and security benefits for British citizens, even as some critics warn the concessions amount to an erosion of sovereignty. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the reset demonstrated Brussels’ willingness to pragmatically cooperate with a close neighbour “while respecting each other’s autonomy.”

STORY

Walkers can today set foot on a brand-new 47-mile (75 km) stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path, linking the traditional seaside resort of Mablethorpe all the way to the iconic Humber Bridge for the first time. This latest section takes ramblers through a rich tapestry of landscapes: from the golden sands and donkey-ride attractions of Mablethorpe, across expansive dune systems and nationally protected nature reserves, before threading past the industrial heritage of the Humber estuary. With this opening, almost 160 miles of continuous coastal walking are now available between Sutton Bridge and Easington, leaving only two short inland diversions at Gibraltar Point bridge and Immingham.

Victoria Manton, Deputy Director for Natural England in the East Midlands, said:

“This new stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path will give people from all over the country access to our beautiful local coastline, connecting them with nature and providing health and wellbeing benefits. The trail will also support the local economy—bringing walkers and visitors to the towns and villages for day trips, refreshments and places to stay.”

Chris Miller, Head of Environment at Lincolnshire County Council, added:

“With these latest additions to the King Charles III England Coast Path coming to fruition we can now provide one of the most spectacular walks anywhere in the country. This is the outcome of several agencies working together to give legal access to a unique part of the country for people to enjoy.”

Along the route, visitors can spot around 2,000 grey seal pups each autumn at Donna Nook bombing range, then continue north to the resort of Cleethorpes and the fishing port of Grimsby, before eventually arriving at the engineering marvel of the Humber Bridge. When the final 41-mile link between Easington and Bridlington North Sands opens later this year, more than 450 miles of continuous cliff-top and sea-edge paths will span from Sutton Bridge all the way to the Scottish border—making the King Charles III England Coast Path the longest continuous coastal walking route in the UK.

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The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has formally accepted the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) recommendation to impose definitive anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of Chinese excavators, in a bid to shield UK manufacturers from unfairly low-priced competition. Under the measures, anti-dumping duties will range between 18.81% for a sampled exporter and 40.08% for the residual rate, while countervailing duties to offset state subsidies will span from 0% up to 2.98%. The TRA estimates these tariffs could bolster domestic excavator producers by as much as £26 million annually.

The duties target imports of excavators weighing between 11 and 80 tonnes—machines for which the TRA found there is an established UK industry—while exempting larger models, as no home-grown production exists for excavators over 80 tonnes. The investigation, launched in November 2023 following an application by Staffordshire-based manufacturer JCB, concluded that Chinese exporters were leveraging artificially low production costs to undercut UK rivals on price.

In February, Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd. sought judicial review of the TRA’s provisional measures, challenging both the authority’s and the Department of Business and Trade’s decisions. On 9 May, the High Court dismissed the claims as “unarguable,” confirming the TRA acted lawfully, rationally and with procedural fairness—paving the way for the duties to come into effect without further delay. The TRA’s intervention sets a precedent for robust defence of UK heavy-machinery sectors against injurious dumping and unfair subsidy practices, and signals the government’s readiness to deploy trade remedies where domestic industries face significant risk.

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On the first ever official visit by a British Prime Minister to Albania, Keir Starmer today announced a major expansion of the Joint Migration Task Force aimed at dismantling organised people-smuggling networks across the Western Balkans. The task force which is now to include Kosovo, North Macedonia and progressing talks with Montenegro will pool UK intelligence with local law enforcement and deploy UK-funded drones to intercept migrants upstream before they attempt the perilous Channel crossing.

Starmer toured the Port of Durrës to witness “upstream” operations credited with a 95 percent drop in small-boat arrivals from Albania over the past three years, and a doubling of returns—from 2,035 Albanian nationals in 2022 to 5,294 in 2024. He stressed that the government’s new Immigration White Paper underpins this “intercept and deter” strategy, and pledged to reinforce border checks with additional forgery-detection machines donated to the Albanian State Police.

The Prime Minister also revealed a fresh £1 million UK investment to upgrade Albania’s forensics, biometrics and digital capabilities, including a joint DNA-swabbing programme. Since its rollout, the initiative has generated 1,000 hits on UK databases and led to the arrest of 55 serious offenders—ranging from murderers to rapists—thanks to enhanced cross-border cooperation. Beyond migration, Starmer and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will build on a broader strategic partnership encompassing defence, security and economic growth. Tomorrow, Starmer convenes a roundtable at the European Political Community summit, aiming to harness regional collaboration against shared challenges such as foreign interference and organised crime.

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The Home Office today announced the creation of the Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce, aimed at overhauling the police response to UK-based people-smuggling networks facilitating Channel crossings.

The unit will be led by Deputy Chief Constable Wendy Gunney, National Lead for Serious Organised Crime at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, supported by a full-time assistant chief constable. Together, they will report regularly to Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to ensure swift progress against organised immigration crime.

This initiative responds directly to ten key recommendations from a January–July 2024 inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, which concluded that while police forces had made headway, a more unified approach was essential to disrupt smuggling gangs operating on UK soil.

Under the new framework, every regional police force will work in concert with the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force. Enhanced information-sharing protocols and coordinated tasking are designed to harness all available tools—from intelligence gathering to targeted enforcement—to root out and dismantle organised immigration criminals.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

“This specialist taskforce marks a significant step in our Plan for Change to secure Britain’s borders. By uniting expertise under Deputy Chief Constable Gunney’s leadership, we’re ensuring organised immigration crime sits at the very top of policing priorities and giving our officers the tools they need to protect lives and uphold the law.”

Deputy Chief Constable Gunney added that the taskforce will build on existing NPCC programmes tackling modern slavery and organised immigration crime, accelerating intelligence flows and maximising multi-agency disruption. Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt praised Wendy Gunney’s “wealth of experience” as vital to the government’s “whole-system approach” to border security.

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An investigation by the Guardian newspaper has cast serious doubts on the integrity of sports hospitality provider Seat Unique after its use of a controversial “dynamic pricing” model saw fans charged exorbitant sums for FA Cup final packages only to witness dramatic price drops days later. The story reveals that Seat Unique, backed by high-profile athletes including England captain Harry Kane and former cricket captain Ben Stokes, sold two VIP hospitality tickets for over £1,500 each, before slashing the same package to £399 less than a fortnight later. In email exchanges seen by The Guardian, a company employee admitted the pricing structure could be “confusing”, likening it to airline fare fluctuations.

Fans describe the practice as indistinguishable from ticket-touting. One purchaser, identified only as Gabrielle, told The Guardian she felt “exploited” when she realised a package bought to cheer up her football-mad nephew had plunged in price—yet Seat Unique declined her request for a partial refund or upgrade and ceased responding to her follow-ups. Consumer group Which? warned that obscuring dynamic pricing is “unacceptable” especially for flagship events such as the FA Cup Final, calling on Seat Unique to be “upfront about its pricing practices so fans can make informed decisions”. Despite the flak, Seat Unique maintains it is an “official platform” offering “fair, transparent and accessible” bookings, insisting that “prices are always clearly advertised with no hidden booking fees” and pledging to “rectify” any unfulfilled promises. However, sceptics argue that undisclosed price volatility undermines consumer trust and demands for regulatory scrutiny are mounting.

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In a statement to the UN Security Council today, Ambassador James Kariuki, the UK Deputy Permanent Representative, underlined Britain’s determination to restore freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea, describing it as “essential in upholding stability in the region.” He welcomed recent de-escalation efforts around Yemen and urged that they serve as a pathway to sustainable peace, while warning that “the risk of escalation remains” given continued threats and worrying military posturing on the frontlines.

Highlighting practical support, Ambassador Kariuki announced that the UK continues to back the Yemen Coast Guard in safeguarding maritime borders and confirmed plans to launch the Yemen Maritime Security Partnership in June, alongside the Yemeni government and international partners. Turning to the humanitarian dimension, he drew attention to the disproportionate impact of the conflict on women, noting that 4.8 million internally displaced people are women, and 6.2 million women and girls remain at risk of gender-based violence—statistics drawn from the UN’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.

He also highlighted that UK funding in 2024 provided lifesaving services to nearly 1.5 million women and children and enabled 15,000 to access protection and gender-based violence response services, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to championing women’s roles in peacebuilding. Ambassador Kariuki condemned the ongoing detention of aid workers by the Houthis, calling for their “immediate and unconditional release” and warned that such actions further constrict humanitarian access at a time when nearly 20 million Yemenis are in dire need of assistance. Finally, he expressed gratitude to Dr Ahmad bin Mubarak, the outgoing Yemeni Prime Minister, and welcomed the new Prime Minister, Salem Bin Breik, pledging continued UK support for Yemen’s ambitious reform programme under the new administration.

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today urged government reform of the water sector’s regulatory accountability mechanisms, advocating a consistent appeal process in place of the current “redetermination” system and proposing that appeals be heard by a specialist judicial body such as the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). In its response to the Independent Water Sector Regulatory System Commission’s call for evidence, the CMA highlighted two key recommendations: first, that all regulatory decisions—including Ofwat’s price controls—be subject to an appeal on defined legal grounds rather than a full redetermination; and second, that the function of hearing these appeals be transferred from the CMA to an appropriately resourced judicial body.

Under the existing regime, Ofwat price control decisions can be “redetermined” by the CMA—a process that effectively requires the authority to retake decisions within a six- to twelve-month window, despite Ofwat’s multi-year review cycle. The CMA pointed to the growing scale and complexity of these reviews: its redetermination of PR19 spanned a 12-month process, culminating in a 1,239-page report and costing approximately £31.8 million in combined expenses for the CMA, Ofwat and disputing companies.

By contrast, an appeal framework would focus strictly on identifying legal errors in Ofwat’s original determinations, with the appellate body empowered to quash or remit decisions rather than substitute its own findings. The CMA argued this would deliver greater efficiency, reduce duplicative costs ultimately borne by consumers, and align water regulation with other sectors—such as energy and communications—where appeals are already judicially managed.

The CMA further noted that its core mission is competition enforcement rather than adjudication, and that the unpredictable timing and resource demands of regulatory redeterminations have become a diversion from its primary duties. Vesting appellate functions in the CAT, which possesses dedicated judicial expertise, would better serve both technical scrutiny and legal interpretation. Concluding its submission, the CMA welcomed the opportunity to assist the Commission and stands ready to engage with government on implementing these reforms to reduce regulatory complexity and bolster investor confidence in the water sector.

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The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) today issued a C3 grading to Swindon Borough Council after an inspection found “serious failings” in its delivery of consumer standards relating to tenant safety, repairs and resident engagement. RSH’s accelerated inspection, triggered by the council’s own self-referral over health and safety and repairs concerns, identified multiple breaches of statutory requirements. Inspectors found that Swindon Borough Council:

– Could not accurately report on the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

– Failed to track or monitor faults uncovered by electrical safety checks.

– Held more than 800 overdue fire-safety actions—most outstanding for over a year.

– Did not actively monitor or report open damp and mould cases, despite effective follow-up once reported.

– Lacked evidence of involving tenants’ views in decision-making or encouraging participation from under-represented groups.

While the council has demonstrated awareness of these shortcomings and is taking steps to address them, RSH confirmed it will continue close engagement to ensure swift remedial action is taken. Separately, RSH published C2/G1-V1 gradings for three housing associations—Housing 21, Torus62 and Sovereign Network Group—indicating they meet governance and viability standards but require improvements in delivering consumer outcomes. An interim G1/V1 grading was also issued for Bromford Flagship following its merger with Bromford Housing Group in February.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said:

“We take health and safety very seriously and expect all landlords to make sure tenants are not at risk in their homes. We also want to see better data management to demonstrate landlords understand their homes and tenants. Self-referrals show accountability and a willingness to improve.”

Under RSH’s framework, a C3 grading denotes “serious failings” in delivering consumer standards, obliging landlords to implement significant improvements or face further regulatory action.

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The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) today announced the appointment of Mr Qudsi Rasheed OBE as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, succeeding Ms Belinda Lewis, who will be transferring to another diplomatic post later this year. Mr Rasheed, a career diplomat and barrister, will assume his duties in September 2025. He brings a wealth of experience from senior roles across the Middle East and within the FCDO’s London headquarters. Most recently, he served as Deputy Head of Mission in Cairo from 2021 to 2024 and completed a period of full-time Arabic language training in 2020–21 alongside a stint as Deputy Director of the COVID Task Force.

Prior to his Cairo posting, Mr Rasheed was Deputy Director for Multilateral Policy and Head of the Sanctions Unit at the FCDO between 2018 and 2020. His overseas assignments include leading the UK Syria Office in Beirut (2017–18) and serving as External Relations Counsellor at UKREP Brussels (2014–17). Earlier in his career he was a Legal Adviser in the FCO’s Legal Directorate (2011–14) and, before joining the service in 2011, practised as a barrister after being called to the Bar of England and Wales. Mr Rasheed’s appointment underlines the UK’s commitment to deepening ties with Kuwait on energy, trade and regional security. During his tenure, he will work to strengthen bilateral cooperation on climate resilience, investment and cultural exchange, aimed at building on decades of UK–Kuwait partnership.