Author: Fatimah Idera

Five women who survived grooming gang abuse have demanded an apology from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, accusing him of making degrading and humiliating comments that questioned their credibility as victims. In a joint statement, the women said Farage’s remarks showed ignorance about grooming and dismissed their lived experiences. “Nigel Farage should apologise. What he said about us is categorically untrue … We are survivors of grooming and grooming gangs,” they stated. The backlash followed Farage’s suggestion during a press conference on Monday that some of the women advising the government’s grooming inquiry were not genuine victims of grooming gangs…

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has admitted that the Home Office remains not yet fit for purpose, even as new figures show arrests for illegal working have reached record levels across the UK. According to the latest Home Office data, immigration enforcement visits rose to 21,858 in the 12 months to September the highest since comparable records began in 2011. That figure represents a 38% increase from the previous year, while arrests for illegal working climbed 63%, reaching 8,232 over the same period. Officials say the surge follows a renewed crackdown on illegal employment, with £5 million allocated to support enforcement…

Santander UK Chief Executive Mike Regnier has urged the government to weigh in over a car finance pay out plan following a landmark supreme court ruling in August. He said the level of industry concern warranted material changes to the regulator’s proposals, which are currently under consultation. “Without such change, the unintended consequences for the car finance market, the supply of credit, and the resulting negative impact on the automotive industry and its supply chain could significantly affect jobs, growth and the broader UK economy,” Regnier said. Although the bank said it did not expect any material adverse impact on…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has suspended its child benefit crackdown after a major data error wrongly halted payments to 23,500 families across the UK. The suspension followed an investigation revealing that incomplete Home Office travel records had falsely flagged parents as having left the country and never returned. The affected families included many who had simply gone on holiday or travelled for work. In one case, a Belfast mother received a letter claiming she had travelled to Amsterdam in June 2023 and failed to return, despite her child being born in October 2024. “Big Brother wants me to explain…

Asylum seekers housed in two London hotels have taken part in a football match organised by Southwark council as part of its efforts to promote inclusion and build a culture of welcome for migrants. The Labour-run council, which is working to become a “borough of sanctuary” by 2027, has introduced several initiatives aimed at improving housing, education, and health services for refugees and asylum seekers. It also plans to lobby the Labour government to ease restrictions preventing asylum seekers from working before they are granted refugee status. The football match, held during Refugee Week in June 2024, brought together residents…

A 49-year-old man has died and two others have been injured in a triple stabbing incident in Uxbridge, west London, prompting a murder investigation. Police were called to Midhurst Gardens at around 5:00 p.m on Monday following reports of multiple stabbings. Officers found the 49-year-old dog walker with serious stab wounds; despite efforts by paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene. A 45-year-old man was rushed to hospital with life-changing injuries, while a 14-year-old boy also sustained knife wounds that are not believed to be life-threatening. A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after…

Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson has dismissed allegations that a quote from Labour’s manifesto was responsible for derailing the high-profile China espionage case. The claim circulated by Conservative critics suggested that referencing Labour’s stance on China in a witness statement undermined the prosecution. Parkinson, appearing before a parliamentary committee, said nothing in the evidence supported that theory, instead backing the government’s position that outdated espionage laws caused the collapse. Officials told MPs the central issue was that Britain’s espionage legislation had not been modernised, and that at the time, it was the previous government’s policy not to classify China…

King Charles has laid flowers at the UK’s first national memorial dedicated to LGBT members of the armed forces, paying tribute to veterans who suffered under the military’s former gay ban. The memorial, titled An Opened Letter, was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in what marked the King’s first official engagement in support of the LGBT  community. The event brought together serving personnel and veterans, including many whose military careers were cut short before the ban was abolished in 2000. From 1967 to January 2000, thousands of service members were investigated, dismissed, or forced to resign because…

Reform UK has expelled two Kent councillors, Robert Ford and Bill Barrett, following allegations of misconduct and internal disputes exposed in a leaked video. The pair were formally removed via email on Monday, with party headquarters accusing them of undermining Reform UK’s interests and bringing the party into disrepute. Ford, who represents Maidstone Rural West, had been suspended after an unofficial complaint from several female county council staff alleging misconduct. Barrett, a councillor for Ashford, was suspended after repeatedly criticising the council’s leadership. Both men were among five councillors suspended last week, though Oliver Bradshaw, Paul Thomas and Maxine Fothergill…

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is under pressure after more than 40 suppliers alleged they are owed around £20 million for prison refurbishment works, following the collapse of lead contractor ISG. The affected firms, both small and medium-sized businesses, say they were assured their payments were protected through ring-fenced Project Bank Accounts (PBAs) for upgrades at HMP Birmingham, HMP Liverpool and HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset. ISG entered administration in September, leaving suppliers unpaid for work carried out in the final months of the scheme. The firms, some now facing bankruptcy, argue that PBAs introduced to prevent subcontractors losing money…