Author: Fatimah Idera

Reform UK has become the first party to unveil its candidate for the 2028 London mayoral election, announcing Westminster councillor Laila Cunningham as its standard-bearer. Party leader Nigel Farage confirmed the decision at a media event in London on Wednesday, ending months of speculation. Cunningham is expected to challenge Labour’s Sir Sadiq Khan, should he seek another term at City Hall. Cunningham said tackling crime would be her top priority, accusing the current mayor of failing to keep Londoners safe. She described the capital as suffering from a breakdown in law and order and promised a tough stance if elected.…

Since coming to power in 2024, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government has faced repeated criticism for reversing key policies, drawing accusations of broken promises and U-turns. The latest reversal concerns business rate relief for pubs. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had planned to end temporary Covid-era relief, which would have raised bills for many pubs and restaurants. Following backlash from Labour MPs and the hospitality sector, she is now set to scale back the plan. Starmer’s administration has also softened plans to tax inherited farmland after protests from farmers. The original policy would have taxed assets above £1 million at 20%,…

Labour has warned that plans by Reform UK and the Conservative Party could push thousands of families in Wales back into poverty ahead of the May Senedd elections. According to Labour, both parties intend to reintroduce the two-child benefit cap in Wales, a policy recently scrapped by the Labour government at Westminster. The cap limited the amount of child-related benefits families could receive, regardless of household need, and was widely criticised for worsening child poverty. First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, said the policy had caused serious hardship in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities. She stressed that Labour…

MSPs have raised serious concerns after NHS Scotland was accused of repeatedly releasing bodies to the wrong families, causing severe distress to grieving relatives. The latest incident occurred in Glasgow, where a body was mistakenly transferred from a hospital mortuary to an undertaker. The error was only discovered after the wrong body had already been cremated during a memorial service organised by another family. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed that two families were “caused significant additional distress at an already very difficult time” and said an investigation is under way. Speaking during First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Labour deputy leader…

A 33-year-old man has been jailed for 14 years after selling a lethal chemical online to help people end their lives, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK. Miles Cross was sentenced at Mold Crown Court after pleading guilty to four counts of intentionally encouraging or assisting suicide. The court heard that in August and September 2024, Cross sent packages containing a fatal chemical to four individuals he met anonymously on an online suicide forum. Two of the recipients later died after using the substance, which Cross sold for £100 per package.…

The UK has confirmed it provided military support to a US operation that seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, amid allegations the vessel was involved in sanctions-busting oil shipments. The Ministry of Defence said British forces assisted the operation with air surveillance and a Royal Navy ship as the US Coast Guard boarded the tanker, now known as Marinera. The vessel is accused by Washington of violating US sanctions and previously transporting Venezuelan crude oil. US authorities said the seizure was part of a wider crackdown on so-called ghost fleet tankers used to evade international sanctions. A…

The UK and France have agreed in principle to deploy troops to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached with Russia, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said after talks in Paris. Starmer announced that a “declaration of intent” signed with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would pave the way for a legal framework allowing British, French and other partner forces to operate on Ukrainian soil after a ceasefire. The aim, he said, is to help guarantee Ukraine’s security and prevent future Russian aggression. Under the plan, the UK and France would establish military hubs across Ukraine…

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Prime Minister Keir Starmer clashed sharply at the first Prime Minister’s Questions of the year, trading accusations over defence policy, Ukraine, Greenland and relations with the United States. Badenoch urged Starmer to urgently hold talks with Nato leaders, including US President Donald Trump, over reports that the US was considering options to acquire Greenland, potentially by military means, as well as Washington’s actions in Venezuela. She argued that the UK must show leadership and clarity at a time of rising global tensions. In response, Starmer said he would “of course” speak to Trump, noting that…

Teachers in Northern Ireland have been offered a 4% pay rise for the 2025/26 financial year, backdated to 1 September 2025. The offer was made by teaching employers, including the Department of Education, and would see most teachers earn between £1,000 and £2,000 more a year before tax. A teacher at the bottom of the pay scale would see their salary rise from £31,650 to £32,916, while those at the top would earn about £50,876, up from £48,919. Teaching unions have welcomed the proposal, describing it as the best achievable under current financial constraints, but each union will now consult…

A new NHS online hospital service set to launch in England next year will initially focus on treating eye conditions, menopause-related issues and prostate problems, with the aim of speeding up access to specialist care and easing pressure on traditional hospital services. The service, which was first announced in September, will be available through the NHS App from 2027 and will allow patients to receive assessments, follow-ups and routine check-ups entirely online. It will be staffed by its own dedicated team of doctors and is expected to handle around 8.5 million appointments in its first three years — significantly more…