Tag: News Story

STORY

The Government has launched a review of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, asking manufacturers, suppliers, charge point operators, dealers, consumers and communities for views on the annual sales targets that apply to electric vehicles. The consultation opened on 14 August and will run until 23 October 2026, while the Government says its longer term commitment to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 remains unchanged.

Under the current policy, all new cars and vans must be fully zero emission by 2035. The review will consider whether the existing annual targets for manufacturers remain appropriate in light of market conditions, supply chain pressures, tariffs and wider trade uncertainty. The Government said manufacturers are currently on track to meet their targets and that the mandate already includes flexibilities intended to help companies comply.

More than one in four new cars sold in the UK are now electric, according to figures cited by the Department for Transport, with electric vehicle sales in July up 45% compared with the same month last year. More than two million electric vehicles are registered on UK roads. The Government has also committed £600 million towards additional charge points and says the Electric Car Grant, worth up to £3,750 on qualifying vehicles, has supported more than 160,000 purchases since its launch last year.

STORY

The UK has called on Iran to end its support for the Houthis after warning that recent attacks have caused a serious escalation of violence in Yemen and the wider region. The statement was delivered by Ambassador Kate Foster, the UK’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a UN Security Council meeting on Yemen.

The Government said recent incidents had included Houthi drone and missile strikes against Saudi Arabia, attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and violations of Yemeni airspace by Iranian aircraft. It said Iran’s longstanding support for the Houthis threatened Yemen’s stability and called for the group to focus on peace efforts rather than drawing the country into a wider regional conflict.

The UK also warned that the escalation was worsening an already serious humanitarian crisis. More than 22 million people in Yemen require humanitarian assistance, over 18 million face food insecurity and more than 2.2 million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished.

The Government said Yemen remained particularly vulnerable because of its dependence on food and fuel imports, while humanitarian funding was under pressure and drought threatened to increase food insecurity. It warned that a return to large scale conflict could turn the existing humanitarian situation into a catastrophe. The UK provided more than $180 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen last year.

The statement also raised concerns about the continued detention of 73 UN employees and other humanitarian and civil society workers by the Houthis. Britain called for all those detained to be released immediately and unconditionally and said aid organisations must be allowed to operate safely and without obstruction.

The UK welcomed the appointment of Dr Afrah Al-Zouba as Yemen’s first female Foreign Minister and said it would work with the Yemeni Government on reforms and security. Britain also reaffirmed its support for the UN Special Envoy and for a UN-led political process aimed at reaching a peaceful settlement to the conflict.

STORY

Nigel Farage is once again facing an active parliamentary standards investigation following his victory in the Clacton by-election. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has restored the Reform UK leader to its list of MPs currently under investigation after the inquiry was suspended when Farage resigned from Parliament in July.

The investigation was originally opened on 13 May 2026 and concerns an alleged failure to register an interest under Rule 5 of the House of Commons Code of Conduct. Parliament stresses that the opening of an investigation does not mean that an MP has broken the rules.

The inquiry followed reports that Farage had received a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before announcing that he would stand in the 2024 general election. The Commissioner is examining whether the money should have been registered after Farage entered Parliament.

Farage has maintained that the money was a personal and unconditional gift which did not fall within parliamentary disclosure requirements. He has said that it was intended to help pay for his personal security. Reform UK has previously said that no parliamentary rules were broken and that Farage’s office was cooperating with the Commissioner.

The investigation had to be suspended after Farage resigned as MP for Clacton on 8 July, triggering the by-election. His successful return to the House of Commons means the Commissioner is now able to continue examining the case.

If the Commissioner concludes that there has been a breach which cannot be resolved through the Commissioner’s own procedures, the case can be referred to the House of Commons Committee on Standards. Parliament states that cases remain listed as being investigated by the Commissioner until any subsequent Standards Committee report is published.

A sufficiently serious sanction could ultimately have consequences for Farage’s membership of the House of Commons. A suspension of at least 10 sitting days could potentially lead to a recall petition and, if enough constituents signed it, another by-election in Clacton. No finding has yet been made against Farage and there is no fixed timetable for completion of the investigation.

STORY

More than 150 Government funded 4G mast upgrades have gone live across rural parts of the United Kingdom as part of the Shared Rural Network programme. The upgrades are intended to improve mobile coverage in areas where commercial rollout is more difficult and expensive, including parts of the Scottish Highlands, Northumberland, Cumbria, North Wales and Dyfed Powys.

The Government said the additional coverage now extends across more than 5,684 square kilometres and includes areas of the Lake District, Eryri and Exmoor. New figures show 42 Shared Rural Network sites have been activated across national parks, while the Yorkshire Dales and Eryri have each seen mobile coverage increase by around seven percentage points.

The Shared Rural Network has already met its target of extending 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK landmass, a year ahead of schedule. The programme will continue until January 2027, with up to 40 further Government funded mast upgrades expected to go live and up to 44 new publicly funded masts planned in Scotland.

STORY

Up to 70 young people aged between 16 and 21 are taking part in a new Government backed artificial intelligence bootcamp in the North West aimed at helping those who are out of work or at risk of becoming unemployed. Participants from areas including Wigan, Blackburn and Blackpool have started three weeks of AI and workplace skills training.

The pilot forms part of the Government’s TechFirst AI Apprenticeship Pathway and is being delivered by IN4 Group with businesses and public sector organisations across the region. Participants will learn how to build and use AI tools responsibly, alongside workplace skills including professional communication, teamwork, organisation and problem solving.

Companies including JD Sports and Heinz are among the employers expected to have apprenticeship opportunities available at the end of the programme. The Government said the results of the pilot will be used to inform an England wide AI skills and early careers scheme planned for next summer, building on the wider £200 million TechFirst programme.

STORY

A row has developed over Nigel Farage’s decision not to attend the declaration of the Clacton by-election result after Reform UK said Essex Police had advised him to stay away because of a credible threat. Farage instead attended a private Reform event while the result was announced at the Clacton count.

Essex Police disputed the suggestion that it had advised Farage not to attend. The force said there had been a full policing operation surrounding the election, that there were no incidents or issues and that decisions over whether candidates attended the count were matters for individuals and their security teams.

Reform UK chairman Lee Anderson defended Farage during an appearance on BBC Breakfast. Anderson acknowledged that he had spoken neither to Farage nor Essex Police about what had happened, but said some police forces were “about as honest” as the BBC. He added that if Farage said he had been advised not to attend, he would believe Farage above the police and the BBC.

STORY

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been returned to Parliament after winning the Clacton by-election with 22,239 votes. Farage secured 63.34% of votes cast, while Count Binface finished second with 9,455 votes, or 26.93%. Turnout in the Essex constituency was 44.37%.

The contest featured a record 34 candidates, the largest field in a UK parliamentary election. Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens did not field candidates after Farage resigned his seat in July and announced that he would immediately seek re-election. The by-election followed scrutiny of a £5 million gift Farage received from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne and questions over whether it had been properly declared.

Farage increased his share of the vote from the 46.2% he secured when he first won Clacton at the 2024 general election. His return to Parliament also means an investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog into his financial interests can resume after being paused during the election period.

STORY

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, today. 

The Prime Minister began the call by welcoming the friendship between the UK and Finland, noting the recent commissioning of the first Finnish cadet from Sandhurst as an example of the two countries’ close ties. 

Turning to Ukraine, the two leaders agreed the vital importance of continuing to stand with President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The Prime Minister then reiterated the UK’s enduring commitment to NATO and noted the key role that Finland plays within the alliance. The two leaders discussed the need to remain vigilant to the threat posed by Russia, including through the important work of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). 

The Prime Minister also set out his commitment to strengthening the UK’s relations with the EU, with the two leaders agreeing to stay in close contact as this work progressed.

The two leaders look forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity.

STORY

Joint statement from the United Kingdom, Albania, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the High Representative of the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

We condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing executions of protesters and use of the death penalty by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The use of capital punishment to silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights can never be justified. The people of Iran must be free to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear.

We call on Iran to immediately end the use of the death penalty and release all those arbitrarily detained.

We further call on Iran to listen to the voice of its people as they demand change, and to take meaningful steps toward ensuring respect for human rights.

STORY

Voters in Clacton are choosing their next MP in a by-election featuring a record 34 candidates, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and satirical candidate Count Binface. Polling stations opened at 7am and will close at 10pm, with the result expected after counting overnight.

The contest was triggered when Farage resigned from the House of Commons in July while facing scrutiny over a £5 million personal gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Farage has said the money was a personal gift which did not require declaration as a political donation. The parliamentary standards investigation was paused when he ceased to be an MP and could resume if he returns to the Commons.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have not fielded candidates in the contest. Tendring District Council confirmed that the 34-candidate field exceeds the previous record of 26 candidates at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election. Farage won Clacton at the 2024 general election with 46.2% of the vote.