Author: Fatimah Idera

A senior Labour MP has called for Attorney General Lord Hermer to be removed from his role, criticising both his appointment to the House of Lords and his influence over key government decisions. Graham Stringer, a veteran MP and former leader of Manchester City Council, said Lord Hermer lacked the democratic legitimacy required for such a powerful position. Stringer argued that the Attorney General should sit in the House of Commons, where they can be held directly accountable by elected representatives. “He’s got no democratic experience,” Stringer said. “Particularly when he’s making such big decisions, demanding that every law effectively…

Nigel Farage has claimed the Scottish Conservatives could face a total electoral wipeout at next year’s Holyrood elections, following the high-profile defection of Tory MSP Graham Simpson to Reform UK. At a press conference in Edinburgh, Farage welcomed Simpson as the first Reform MSP under his leadership and said the defection marked the beginning of the Conservatives’ decline not just in Scotland, but also in Wales and northern England. “I think next May the Scottish Conservatives will do so badly that they will cease to be a political force in Scotland,” Farage said, adding that similar outcomes could follow in…

A teenage girl who stabbed three people at a Welsh school had previously been considered for referral to the UK government’s anti-extremism programme Prevent, according to a new safeguarding report. The 13-year-old, who expressed interest in Adolf Hitler, war memorabilia, and weapons, attacked two teachers and a fellow student at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, in April 2024. She had earlier been found carrying a knife on school grounds, prompting discussions about a Prevent referral. However, no formal referral was made. Following the violent incident, the girl referred to in official documents as Child A was arrested and told…

The fertility rate in England and Wales has reached a record low, marking the third consecutive year of decline, according to newly released figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In 2024, the total fertility rate which represents the average number of live children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime fell to 1.41, down slightly from 1.42 in 2023. This is the lowest figure since records began in 1938. This drop occurred despite a slight 0.6% increase in the total number of live births in 2024. The ONS also noted a 14% rise in the number…

The gap in transport-related carbon emissions between the UK’s richest and poorest is on track to grow significantly by 2035, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Currently, the most affluent individuals produce 10 times more emissions from domestic travel than the least affluent. If current government policies remain unchanged, that disparity is expected to rise to 13 times within the next decade. The IPPR analysis, which models future emissions using 12 distinct traveller profiles, highlights that the poorest groups will reduce their transport emissions much faster than wealthier groups. By 2035, the top 4%…

Scotland has introduced water restrictions for the first time due to a prolonged dry spell that has pushed river levels to critical lows. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) announced restrictions in Ythan (Aberdeenshire) and North Fife after both regions reached significant scarcity status which is the highest level of alert. This follows over 30 days of very low water levels in local rivers. The measures limit water abstraction and the process of taking water from natural sources and primarily affecting agricultural and industrial users. Sepa stated the restrictions are temporary and will be lifted once conditions improve. The agency…

The Labour government is facing criticism for allegedly neglecting British tech companies while seeking to position the UK as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). Newly formed government working groups had set up to address growing concerns over AI’s impact on copyright laws which come under fire after it emerged that just one UK tech company, AI video startup Synthesia, was invited to participate. In contrast, the attendee list includes several major US tech giants, such as Amazon, Apple, Meta, Nvidia, and OpenAI. The imbalance has sparked accusations that UK ministers are prioritising American corporate interests over homegrown innovation,…

Fraudsters in Ghana are deliberately targeting British women in online romance scams, claiming their crimes are a form of retribution for colonial exploitation, new research has revealed. Accra, the capital of Ghana, has become a hub for cybercrime networks known as Sakawa Boys. These gangs impersonate white men on Facebook often posing as soldiers, bankers or government officials to lure affluent Western women into relationships. Over months, victims are persuaded to hand over large sums of money, sometimes amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds, after being manipulated with fabricated tales of medical emergencies or personal crises. Read Read: Ghana’s president…

The head of the UK’s elections watchdog has said schools must begin teaching democracy from the age of 11 to prepare children for voting at 16, while stressing the importance of keeping classrooms free from political bias. Vijay Rangarajan, chief executive of the Electoral Commission, said teaching will initially target pupils aged 14 and above but should eventually start earlier so that young people are ready to use the vote by their mid-teens. The change comes ahead of the next general election, when 16- and 17-year-olds are expected to gain the right to vote. The commission is developing teaching materials…

Rising grocery costs are piling further pressure on UK households, with eggs, butter and chocolate leading a fresh surge in food inflation. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), food prices rose by 4.2% in August, up from 4% in July and the sharpest increase in 18 months. Overall shop price inflation also edged up to 0.9%, despite non-food prices falling by 0.8%. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the cost of everyday staples had jumped because of strong demand, tighter supply chains and higher labour costs. Cocoa shortages have also kept chocolate prices elevated. The BRC warned that retailers…