Author: Fatimah Idera

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that Downing Street will publish a key witness statement at the centre of the controversy over dropped spying charges against two British men accused of working for China. Addressing MPs during Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer said the statement from Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins would be released after a brief review to ensure all information could be made public. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) cleared the way for publication late on Tuesday, saying it had no objection since the case was no longer active. Recall the case involved former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash…

Robert Bush, 47, pleaded guilty to 35 counts of fraud by false representation and one charge of fraudulently operating his Hull-based business, Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

A group of Labour MPs has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to abolish council tax and replace it with a fairer system, as she prepares to deliver her second and potentially most challenging budget next month. In a letter sent to Reeves last month, 13 Labour MPs  predominantly representing constituencies in northern England, urged the chancellor to be bold in tackling what they described as a deeply regressive and outdated property tax system. The MPs argue that council tax unfairly penalises communities outside London and the south-east and no longer reflects modern property values. “Created in the early 1990s and…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses growing concerns over the failure to prosecute high-profile China spy cases, amid accusations from the opposition and renewed scrutiny of national security policy at the opening statement today during the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Starmer expressed deep disappointment over the outcome of the case, which saw two men charged under the Official Secrets Act but ultimately not prosecuted. “National security will always be the first priority of this government, vowing that the UK would always defend against espionage,” he told the Commons. While facing criticism from Conservative MPs, Starmer pointedly noted that the alleged espionage…

Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband has approved plans for the UK’s largest solar farm. The £1bn Tillbridge solar farm, to be built near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, will generate enough electricity to power 300,000 homes once completed. The 700-megawatt project will cover more than 1,200 hectares, making it the biggest solar development in the country. It is also the ninth nationally significant solar project approved since Labour came to power in July 2024, with 17 large-scale renewable projects greenlit so far enough to supply over 7.5 million homes. Labour has pledged to make the UK a clean energy superpower by tripling solar…

An asylum seeker accused of murdering a hotel worker in Walsall was seen dancing and laughing moments after the attack, a jury has heard. Deng Chol Majek, who claims to be 19, allegedly stabbed 27-year-old Rhiannon Skye Whyte 23 times with a screwdriver after following her to Bescot Stadium railway station on 20 October last year. Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Majek, a Sudanese national living at the Park Inn hotel where Whyte worked, was “clearly excited about what he had done”. Whyte, whose shift had ended at 11pm, was heard screaming during a phone call…

According to new forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the UK is on track to be the second fastest-growing economy among the G7 nations this year and next. The IMF projects that Britain’s economy will expand by 1.3 per cent in both 2025 and 2026, trailing only the United States and outpacing other advanced economies such as France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan. The outlook marks a modest but notable upgrade from the IMF’s April forecast, reflecting “strong activity in the first half of 2025 and a boost from the recently announced US-UK trade deal.” However, the IMF warned…

Sir Michael Caine has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to outlaw the smacking of children in England. The 92-year-old actor, alongside former England footballer Alan Shearer and actors Natalie Dormer and Samantha Morton, signed an open letter delivered to Downing Street on Monday. The letter, coordinated by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), argues that England’s current law leaves children with less protection from physical harm than adults. Under the existing Children Act 2004, it is illegal to hit a child unless it amounts to reasonable punishment. The letter urges the government to…

An Afghan migrant who entered the UK illegally by small boat has been sentenced to five years in prison for threatening to kill Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in a social media post. Fayaz Khan, 26, who prosecutors said was likely a 31-year-old named Fayaz Husseini, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of making threats to kill the MP for Clacton. He was also handed an additional eight-month sentence, to run concurrently, for entering the UK illegally. Recall that the NewDaily Prime had earlier published that Khan posted a TikTok video in which he made gun gestures, pointed to an…

Nigel Farage is preparing to abandon Reform UK’s flagship £90bn tax cut pledge as he seeks to project a more fiscally responsible image ahead of the next general election. The Reform UK leader is expected to outline a revised economic vision in an upcoming major policy speech, marking a significant shift from the party’s 2024 manifesto, which included sweeping tax reductions such as raising the income tax threshold to £20,000 and abolishing inheritance tax on estates under £2m. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), previously criticised the proposals as unrealistic and problematic, arguing that the sums did not add up.…