Author: Fatimah Idera

The UK Government is facing renewed pressure to restore the Electoral Commission’s independence amid warnings that its current oversight powers threaten democracy. Reports revealed that UK is breaching eight international standards designed to protect electoral bodies from political interference. Ministerial powers, introduced under Boris Johnson in 2022, could be easily abused by a future authoritarian government to distort elections. Although the watchdog responsible for overseeing elections and campaign finance, was placed under government oversight for the first time when Johnson gave ministers the right to set its policy objectives. Critics, including parliamentary committees and the Committee on Standards in Public…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned Reform UK’s plans to scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for legal migrants, calling the proposals “racist” and “immoral” as Labour’s annual party conference began in Liverpool. Speaking to the media, Starmer said Reform’s policy would tear the country apart, urging Labour members to unite against what he described as Nigel Farage’s divisive agenda. He said, “We’ve got the fight of our lives ahead,” he warned, acknowledging the growing threat Reform poses to Labour in the polls. Reform hit back quickly and Policy chief, Zia Yusuf accused Labour of prioritising migrants over taxpayers, saying:…

A child has died while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat, according to French authorities. The teenager’s body was found on Sunday morning on a beach in Saint-Étienne-au-Mont, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, after reportedly falling from a crowded dinghy. The incident came just a day after three other people lost their lives during similar attempts to reach the UK. Two Somali women were reportedly crushed onboard a boat, while the body of a man was recovered from a canal in Gravelines, near Dunkirk. French officials said the dinghy carrying the child had been crammed with people, with 48…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has accused Reform UK of pushing policies that would tear this country apart as he arrived in Liverpool for the Labour Party conference on Saturday. Starmer sharply criticised Reform’s proposal to abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for legal migrants and replace it with renewable five-year visas. He described the plan as one of the most shocking things, Nigel Farage’s party has put forward, warning it would affect hundreds of thousands of people already living and working in the UK. “These are people who contribute to our society every day in hospitals, schools, and businesses,”…

More than 150,000 UK graduates are carrying student loan debts of over £100,000, with one individual owing nearly £300,000, according to data. Figures obtained by Royal London from the government-owned Student Loans Company (SLC) show that as of June, 150,450 borrowers had balances above £100,000, up from 113,029 in January, a rise of one-third in just six months. In total, more than 2.6 million people owe £50,000 or more. The average debt for those who completed courses in England last year stands at £53,000. Royal London described these debts as debt sentences that hinder graduates from saving, buying homes, or…

More than 1.6 million people have signed a petition opposing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to introduce mandatory digital ID cards for those working in the UK by 2029. The petition argues that “no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system,” describing the proposal as a step towards “mass surveillance and digital control.” While petitions that exceed 100,000 signatures are usually considered for parliamentary debate, such campaigns rarely shift government policy. Starmer has defended the scheme, calling digital IDs an enormous opportunity for the country. Speaking on Friday, he said the plan would strengthen border security,…

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will pay their first official visit to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican next month, Buckingham Palace has announced. The late-October trip will take place six months after the couple met Pope Francis, shortly before his death in April at the age of 88. During their visit, Charles and Camilla will take part in events marking the Catholic Church’s jubilee year, held every 25 years, under the theme of walking together as pilgrims of hope. A palace statement said the visit will “celebrate the ecumenical work between the Church of England and the Catholic…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has hailed digital ID cards as an enormous opportunity for the UK, arguing they will strengthen border security and streamline access to public services. Speaking at a progressive politics conference on Friday, Starmer said the proposals dubbed the Brit Card are essential to tackling illegal migration, a key concern among voters. The plan would require new legislation and has already drawn fierce opposition from civil liberties groups. Starmer said, “a secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands. Digital ID will make it harder to work illegally in this country, while giving citizens practical benefits, like…

Hackers are threatening to release more sensitive data after breaching Kido, a UK-based nursery chain, and exposing the personal details of thousands of children and staff. The cybercriminal group, calling itself Radiant, has already published profiles of 10 children on the dark web. The leaked information included names, dates of birth, addresses, and contact details of parents and guardians. The gang claims to possess data on more than 8,000 children and families, along with staff records, accident reports, safeguarding documents, and billing details. They warned that unless Kido engages with them, they will gradually leak more, including 30 additional child…

Keir Starmer has called on progressive leaders to confront what he described as the industrialised infrastructure of grievance used by populists to distort politics and fuel division. Speaking at the Global Progress Action summit in London, the prime minister delivered a firm warning that misinformation and false narratives cannot be left unchallenged. Starmer said recent election victories for himself and fellow centre-left leaders such as Mark Carney and Anthony Albanese showed that progressive politics was far from dying out. But he argued that success now depended on taking on the lies that have taken root in our societies and offering…