Tag: News Story

STORY

Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson has defected to Reform UK, becoming the party’s first representative in the Scottish Parliament after a press conference with Nigel Farage in Broxburn, West Lothian. Simpson, a list MSP for Central Scotland since 2016 and a former Tory frontbencher, said leaving the party he joined at 15 was “an enormous wrench” but argued voters had been let down by the political establishment.

The move, a blow to new Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, gives Reform a foothold at Holyrood ahead of the 2026 election. Simpson, who had already decided not to seek re-election as a Conservative, said he wanted to “create something fresh” in Scottish politics and suggested Reform’s agenda should extend beyond its trademark lines on net zero and immigration. Farage hailed the defection as a milestone and confirmed the party will appoint a Scottish leader for the Holyrood contest. Reform has been building its Scottish presence through local government, claiming 16 councillors, and sees Simpson’s move as momentum after polling spikes over the summer.

Simpson was elected via the regional list and will retain his seat as there is no requirement for a by-election when an MSP changes party. Critics warned that switching mid-term without seeking a new mandate raises questions of accountability, but the rules allow him to sit as Reform’s sole MSP until 2026.

STORY

A Lincoln church has been defaced with a crudely spray-painted St George’s Cross, in what its vicar condemned as an “attempt to intimidate” and a needless attack on a place of Christian worship. The Reverend Rachel Heskins said the symbol had been hijacked for division, adding that the graffiti “doesn’t represent us” and has no place on a church wall. Local parishioners described the daubing as thuggish and destructive rather than patriotic, pointing out that the clean-up will drain money and time better spent on community support.

The incident comes amid a wider spate of St George’s Cross graffiti across parts of England, including paint on roundabouts and crossings that councils and police have treated as criminal damage. In Birmingham, residents labelled similar markings “wanton vandalism,” while authorities in the Midlands have warned offenders they face investigation and removal costs.
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STORY

Ministers have unveiled plans for a new independent body to hear asylum appeals, promising faster decisions, priority treatment for cases in asylum accommodation and statutory 24-week deadlines for certain appeals. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, says the shake-up is designed to clear a mounting appeals backlog, accelerate returns and reduce reliance on hotels. Cooper said:

“We inherited an asylum system in complete chaos with a soaring backlog of asylum cases and a broken appeals system with thousands of people in the system for years on end. That is why we are taking practical steps to fix the foundations and restore control and order to the system. We are determined to substantially reduce the number of people in the asylum system as part of our plan to end asylum hotels. Already since the election we have reduced the backlog of people waiting for initial decisions by 24% and increased failed asylum returns by 30%. But we cannot carry on with these completely unacceptable delays in appeals as a result of the system we have inherited which mean that failed asylum seekers stay in the system for years on end at huge cost to the taxpayer. Overhauling the appeals system so that it is swift, fair and independent, with high standards in place, is a central part of our Plan for Change.”

The body would be separate from government and staffed by professionally trained adjudicators, with powers to “surge” capacity and to prioritise appeals from foreign national offenders and those receiving accommodation support. Officials say the First-tier Tribunal is struggling to keep pace despite extra sitting days, prompting the shift to a model used in some European countries where independent appeals bodies handle asylum cases.

Alongside the new body, ministers intend to place a legal requirement on the First-tier Tribunal to determine specified asylum appeals within 24 weeks. Further plans to fast-track ‘safe country’ cases will be set out in the autumn. According to the government, 106,000 cases are currently waiting to be heard at the First-tier Tribunal, including at least 51,000 asylum appeals, with average waits of around 53 weeks. While initial decision-making has sped up, cutting the number waiting for a first decision by about a quarter over the past year, officials say court delays over appeals are now the biggest driver of pressure in the accommodation system.

STORY

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Darul-Uloom School London after trustees failed to resolve a long-running dispute over ownership of the land on which the school operates. The regulator says its enquiries indicate the site is held on trust for the charity rather than belonging to any individual, and it has warned the stalemate risks putting charitable property at serious risk.

The move escalates earlier engagement by the Commission, which had set repeated deadlines for the trustees to bring the matter to a conclusion. The inquiry will examine the administration, management and governance of the charity, including whether trustees have complied with their legal duties in handling the dispute. The scope may be widened if further regulatory issues emerge.

Darul-Uloom School London has been registered since 1995 and provides Islamic and national curriculum education to children and young people. The Commission previously opened a separate statutory inquiry in 2018 following an altercation on the charity’s premises; that case concluded in May 2022 with findings of serious misconduct and mismanagement, and two former trustees were disqualified.

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The Office for National Statistics has said that inflation rose by an unexpected 3.8% in July, bringing into question the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates. The ONS said that transport, particularly air fares, made the largest upward contribution to the monthly increase which was a little higher than the Bank of England had anticipated. The increase was the highest since January 2024, but the Bank of England said that it was committed to bringing down inflation to the target 2%.

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A High Court judge has granted Epping Forest District Council an interim injunction to stop the Bell Hotel in Essex being used to house asylum seekers, a decision lawyers for the Home Office warned could trigger copycat legal bids by other councils and heap fresh pressure on an already stretched accommodation system for migrants. Mr Justice Eyre ordered the operators to cease use of the site for asylum housing by early September while the case proceeds, after ruling the change of use breached planning controls. The council argued the venue no longer functions as a hotel and that continued use had inflamed local tensions.

The ruling follows weeks of protests outside the Bell Hotel, some involving far-right groups, after criminal charges were brought against individuals staying at the site. The council told the court that closing the venue would reduce the risk of further disorder and improve safety for both residents and asylum seekers. The judge allowed time for compliance and the owners may still seek to appeal. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s late attempt to intervene was rejected, with the court noting the Home Office had known about the case since 12 August. In submissions, counsel for the Home Office said the shortage of asylum accommodation was “acute” and cautioned that if Epping succeeded there could be similar applications elsewhere.

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The UK and the Republic of Korea have pledged to accelerate work on an upgraded free trade agreement and expand cooperation across technology, defence industry and clean energy after a Senior Economic Dialogue held in Seoul on 18 August 2025 co-chaired by Second Vice Minister Kim Jina and UK Indo-Pacific minister Catherine West. Officials said five rounds of talks on the enhanced UK–ROK FTA have concluded and both sides aim to finish negotiations by the end of 2025. They also signalled support for a first UK-ROK Investment Dialogue and for enabling a Joint Defence Exports memorandum of understanding to spur defence industrial collaboration.

The communiqué highlights plans to deepen science and technology links in artificial intelligence, quantum, engineering biology and space, with both governments backing their Digital Partnership and the next Digital Partnership Forum. On economic security, London and Seoul will step up work with like-minded partners on resilient supply chains for critical minerals through the Minerals Security Partnership.

Energy transition featured prominently, with agreement to strengthen the UK-ROK Clean Energy Partnership ahead of COP30 and to explore cooperation on nuclear fuel supply chains, including potential UK investment in LEU and HALEU capabilities. Development cooperation will continue under the Strategic Development Partnership, including workshops to align ODA implementation systems by the end of 2025, and both countries discussed the upcoming eighth replenishment of the Global Fund, which the UK will co-host with South Africa.

The two countries also committed to closer coordination in multilateral forums including the G7, G20 and CPTPP, and welcomed proposals to strengthen links between business, parliamentarians and academia through a UK-Korea High Level Forum. They agreed to hold regular Senior Economic Dialogues to track progress and identify new areas for cooperation.

STORY

Joseph Boam has been removed as deputy leader of Leicestershire County Council after just three months in the post. Party sources confirmed he is no longer the deputy leader of the council and has also left his cabinet role overseeing adult social care, with Reform UK saying the 22-year-old has been moved to a more minor support role.

Boam was elected in May and appointed to the leadership team as Reform formed a minority administration at County Hall. His departure from the deputy role follows weeks of scrutiny and internal unease within the group, though accounts of the reasons for the dismissal are currently unclear. One party source characterised the process as a decision following “inner machinations” and said it was not due to a specific breach, while separate reporting highlighted prior controversy over Boam’s social media activity.

Reform UK remains the largest group on the council following May’s local elections, running a minority administration under leader Dan Harrison. The party has not announced a permanent replacement for the deputy leadership.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer said President Donald Trump’s efforts have brought the prospect of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine “closer than ever,” while insisting the next step must be further talks involving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a statement issued today, Starmer said he had spoken with Zelenskyy, Trump and European partners this morning and that all sides stood ready to support the next phase of diplomacy.

Starmer welcomed the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any agreement, calling it “important progress” that would help deter further aggression from Moscow. He added that the UK will continue tightening sanctions on Russia “until [Putin] stops his barbaric assault,” noting the measures have already had a punishing impact. The Prime Minister reiterated that Britain’s support for Ukraine will continue “as long as it takes.”

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The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Edmund Kell Unitarian Church and Elizabeth Kell Community Hall amid concerns that almost £300,000 may be unaccounted for, alongside questions over governance and safeguarding at the Southampton-based charity. The regulator said it began engaging with the excepted charity in April after trustees applied to change its structure. During that process, the Commission reviewed accounts and obtained information about the charity’s investments, identifying funds initially estimated at around £290,000 that could not be accounted for, prompting the escalation to a formal inquiry.

Investigators will examine whether trustees have fulfilled their legal duties, the adequacy of financial controls, and whether there has been any loss or misappropriation of charitable funds. The scope also covers the sufficiency of safeguarding arrangements, including potentially unmanaged risks relating to a connected individual. The Commission may widen the inquiry if further regulatory issues emerge. The charity is “excepted”, meaning it is not required to register with the Commission but is still subject to charity law and regulation. The inquiry was formally opened on 29 April 2025 under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011. At its conclusion, the Commission intends to publish a report setting out the issues examined, actions taken, and outcomes.