Author: Fatimah Idera

A five-day strike by junior doctors will begin at 7 am on Friday after negotiations between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government broke down. The walkout involving up to 30,000 medics marks the first nationwide healthcare strike under a Labour government since the 1979 Winter of Discontent. The BMA is demanding a 29% pay rise, arguing it is necessary to reverse more than a decade of real-terms cuts. Although Health Secretary Wes Streeting initiated talks with the union last week, no agreement was reached. The government has refused to discuss pay, instead offering potential improvements in working conditions…

Labour has announced an early review of the state pension age, signalling that it could be raised sooner than currently planned. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall revealed on Monday that the statutory review originally due in 2027 will begin immediately, alongside the launch of a new pensions commission. The state pension age is presently 66 and is already set to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. A further increase to 68 is scheduled for the mid-2040s, but the timeline could now be accelerated. Kendall acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying she was under no illusions about how difficult it…

Water bills are expected to rise by 30% over the next five years, according to a new report that highlights growing pressures on Britain’s water infrastructure, including the rapid expansion of data centres to power artificial intelligence (AI).

Anti-semitism is becoming alarmingly common in British schools, with over half of Jewish teachers reporting abuse, according to a new survey by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT). The poll reveals a stark rise in anti-Semitic incidents, including swastika graffiti, offensive slurs, and anti-Jewish chants. One teacher described repeated harassment: “Students have shouted ‘Free Palestine’ at me on multiple occasions. Another time, someone yelled ‘Free the Jews’ outside a meeting of Jewish students.” NASUWT’s findings highlight the deteriorating environment for Jewish staff in education since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel in October 2023. The union,…

The Labour Government in the United Kingdom has announced a major plan to reduce the amount of raw sewage discharged into the UK’s rivers, lakes, and coastal waters by 50% before the end of the decade. Environment Secretary Steve Reed unveiled the commitment as part of Labour’s broader agenda to restore the health of the country’s waterways, promising to make them the cleanest since records began. The move marks a significant policy shift and a victory for The Telegraph’s long-running Clean Rivers Campaign, which has highlighted the unchecked pollution by water companies across the UK. The deteriorating condition of Britain’s…

Bournemouth has become the first town in the UK to trial doubling parking fines in an effort to crack down on illegal parking during the busy summer season, a move that has sparked a heated debate between the Lib Dem-led council and local motorists. The scheme, approved by the Department for Transport, will see parking fines rise to £70, or £140 if not paid within 14 days aligning them with London’s penalty rates. The trial will run throughout August, Bournemouth’s busiest holiday month, when thousands of tourists descend on the seaside resort. The initiative comes in response to widespread incidents…

A major London-based smuggling gang has been dismantled after it was found trafficking migrants including children as young as five from Britain to France in refrigerated lorries, in a rare case of reverse Channel crossings. The gang, led by 41-year-old Algerian national Azize Benaniba, orchestrated at least 20 smuggling trips between February and October 2023, packing men, women, and children into dangerous and often airtight vehicles travelling from Dover to Calais. While most migrant smuggling routes traditionally flow into the UK, this operation marks a disturbing shift, exposing how criminal networks exploit vulnerable migrants regardless of direction. French authorities recorded…

Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to unveil Labour’s long-promised Ethics and Integrity Commission within days, in a move aimed at restoring public trust in politics and tackling the legacy of Conservative era sleaze. The announcement is likely to come before Parliament rises for the summer recess on Tuesday. The new independent watchdog will be tasked with upholding standards across public life, overseeing lobbying rules for former government officials, and enforcing a legal duty of candour for public authorities, a key component of the forthcoming Hillsborough law. The Ethics and Integrity Commission will assume responsibilities currently spread across several existing bodies.…

Diane Abbott is once again at the centre of controversy after repeating claims that Jewish and Traveller communities experience racism differently from black people, prompting Labour to consider a renewed suspension. In a recent interview on BBC Radio 4’s Reflections programme, the veteran Labour MP defended her previously condemned remarks, saying it was silly to equate racism based on skin colour with the discrimination faced by Jews and Travellers. “There must be a difference between racist, which is about colour and other types of racism,” she said. “You can see a black person walking down the street… You can spot…

Sir Keir Starmer has reignited tensions with the Labour Left after expelling and demoting seven MPs who defied the party line to oppose welfare legislation. In a sharp display of authority, the Prime Minister withdrew the party whip from four MPs on Wednesday evening—Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchliff, and Brian Leishman citing repeated breaches of party discipline. All four will now sit as independents. Three others, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, and Mohammad Yasin, were removed from their roles as trade envoys, a government-appointed privilege. The disciplinary move follows Labour’s largest rebellion under Starmer’s leadership, where 127 MPs voted…